Shadow of the Day
by ForeverSam
Summary: My world is dark," she murmured. "I've never seen the sun, I'm always trapped in this endless night. But when I'm with you, I can imagine it."—They are two teens leading very different lives. And yet…"You're my light...Ichigo." AU, IchiRuki
1. Off The Beaten Track

**Title:** Shadow of the Day

**Rating:** T

**Pairings:** Ichigo/Rukia

**AU:** Yessir!

**Summary:** "My world is dark," she murmured. "It's been so long since I saw light, I've forgotten what it looks like. But when I'm with you, I can imagine it."—They are two teens leading very different lives. And yet…"You're my light...Ichigo."[AU, IchiRuki]

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**Beginning Notes: **_No_, this story has nothing to do with the Linkin Park song. Don't get me wrong, I love the song (it's actually one of my favorites). It just doesn't have a place in the story. Also, for those of you who are familiar with my work, this may make you a little more compelled to read: the story _will_ have a happy ending! 'Course, how hard it is to _get_ to that ending is a different story… /evil laughter/ All righty. On with the show!

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _**Bleach**_. I wish I did. It'd make paying for college a _hell_ of a lot easier. Also, I'd like to point out (before anybody accuses me of plagiarism) that this story _is_ inspired by the _**Twilight**_ fanfic _A Child of the Night_ by **l'heure bleue**. And I'm saying this now because I'm sure if I don't, someone's going to scream, "copy-cat!" So there you go. In black and white. I _have_ read the story, and yes, I _am_ drawing inspiration from it. But please bear with me anyway, because I promise, this is _not_ going to be an exact copy of that story. The only thing that's similar is…well, read the story and find out. Everything else is, I swear, my own idea. So please don't kill me or give me hell. Please?

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_**Shadow of the Day — I**_

—_**:—Monday, March 3**__**rd**__**, 2008 – 7:52 p.m. —:—**_

Monotony. It's a part of every life. But for Kurosaki Ichigo, monotony _was_ life. His track was so beaten, it was impossible to stray off of it. He sometimes _welcomed_ the small things that were so different from the norm, that broke up his otherwise boring and predictable day.

Sometimes.

Ichigo ducked and his leg shot out, his foot catching the last of his assailants in the face and sending him flying back. Terrific. As if he wasn't _already_ late. Now he had to deal with a couple of goons mistaking him for a rival gang member. Wasn't his life just _perfect_.

Ichigo took a step back away from the groaning thug laying sprawled on the ground in front of him. His two buddies were a little ways back, having been sent flying when Ichigo had punched them. The orange-haired teen rolled his eyes then looked down at his watch. It was almost seven-thirty. He sighed and looked up as the last rays of the sun disappeared from the orange sky, then shoved his hands into his pocket and started walking.

The sky above him slowly morphed from light-blue with orange highlights to a soft mixture of dark and light blue, then into a velvety blue, almost black. The street-lights above Ichigo clicked on just as he passed under one, illuminating the dark, quiet street. He'd walked these streets, the streets of Karakura Town, so many times, he could do them with his eyes closed. This was his home, this small, troubled town with it's wanna-be gangs and would-be tough guys and never-ending problems. It wasn't dangerous, not by far. In fact, by most standards, it was boring. Ichigo had walked these streets every morning and every night, five days a week, since he'd started high school three years ago. He'd gotten into trouble maybe three times.

This was, as sad as it may have seemed, his life. Every single day it was the same thing. Wake up, eat breakfast, go to school, go home, deal with his annoying father, eat dinner, go to his room and do his homework, then just hang out until he went to bed, then wake up and start it all over again. A never-ending, never-changing cycle. It wasn't even a _life_, not really. Ichigo often felt like an observer, like he was standing on the outside looking in, wondering if this was all there was. There had to be more, right? After all, everybody was born for a reason; everyone had a purpose in life. Surely Ichigo was no exception that rule. Right?

He sometimes blamed the town for the unbreakable cycle of his life. This small, boring town kept him from doing anything, going anywhere. It had trapped him, maybe forever. Sometimes — most of the time, actually — he really hated it here.

Ichigo came to a halt outside the park entrance, debating whether or not to take the short-cut through. After all, late was late. His father would, no doubt, pounce the second he walked in. It wasn't exactly an inviting thought. Then again, the later Ichigo was, the more annoying Isshin would be. Ichigo rolled his eyes at the thought, and took the turn-off.

The park was surprisingly quiet. Usually at night it was a prime spot for gang members and other thugs. But then, the night was still young. Hopefully Ichigo would be long gone before anybody came. He didn't need anymore trouble…

_Creeeeeeak._

Ichigo jerked around as the sound of grating metal echoed through the air, and his eyes swiveled around to find the source of the noise, landing on the swing-set tucked in the corner near the woods. It wasn't yet dark enough that he couldn't see the outline of a small figure seated on one of the swings. But it was just dark enough that he couldn't see the person's face.

Ichigo turned all the way to face the swings. The figure was small, almost child-like. Too young to be out at this time. And Ichigo, against his better judgment, was curious. He made his way slowly towards the swings, waiting for the figure to say something. But it was silent, as if the person hadn't seen him. He stopped when the person's face became clear to his eyes; he was standing about ten feet away.

It was a girl, a very small girl, with shoulder-length raven hair framing her thin face. Her skin was pale, ghost-like, as if she didn't get out in the sun much. She was wearing, a thin, flowing, white sundress; the wind blew lightly, ruffling the bottom. Her eyes were closed, her head tilted towards the sky, her fingers curled around the chains of the swing. Her lips were moving. The movement was small, miniscule, as if she were speaking to herself, though no sound ever escaped her.

Ichigo hesitated, but then his foot moved of it's own accord. On his first step he came down on a twig; he froze as the audible _snap_ echoed through the silent air.

The girl looked down at once, her eyes snapping open. Ichigo had half a second to be stunned by the vivid, violet color before she spoke.

"Who's there?"

Ichigo blinked, surprised. She was staring right at him…

"Say something." There was a strange note in her voice, a mix of defensive, as if she were ready to argue, and a small bit of panic, as if she was scared. "Please. I know you're there. Say something. Where are you?"

Her eyes were wide, unseeing…_unseeing_. Realization hit Ichigo like a ton of bricks.

She was blind.

"Sorry." Ichigo was careful to keep his voice low as he spoke. "I didn't mean to scare you."

The girl stood, still gripping the swing chain. "You didn't." She assured him, letting her fingers unwrap themselves one at a time. "Just startled me. People don't usually come down here. I just…" She shrugged, letting her hand fall to her side, her head looking left and right, her eyes scanning, as if she were seeing something only visible to her. "There are always people here." She seemed to be talking to herself now. "But not tonight. It's still early, I guess. They'll be here."

It took Ichigo a moment to speak. She seemed so lost in her own world, this strange, sightless girl. He wouldn't have been surprised if she'd forgotten he was there. But he couldn't stop himself from speaking. "What are you doing here, anyways? It's late."

"It's the only time I get to come out." Her answer was so perplexing, so vague. Ichigo cocked his head slightly, trying to make sense of it. After a minute he gave up, moving on to his next question.

"Do you come here often?" He asked, strangely eager to keep talking to her.

The girl nodded, smiling. "Every night."

This surprised Ichigo. "And no one's ever bothered you?" He knew what kind of people frequented the park at night. He couldn't imagine this small, seemingly helpless girl up against those thugs. But she shook her head.

"I don't know. I'm small. People don't notice me. No one's ever bothered to come down here before." She took a step forward, smiling softly. "Not that they're the kind of people I want to deal with. Just because I can't see them doesn't mean I don't hear them. It isn't something I want to get mixed up in."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "You know what kind of people come down here. So why aren't you running in the other direction? I could be anyone, after all. How do you know I won't hurt you? I mean…you can't tell. You're blind,"

He felt stupid for pointing that out. The girl blinked, obviously surprised, her pale skin reddening just a bit. She hesitated for a minute, and Ichigo was worried he'd said something wrong. "How did you…"

"Because you're looking at me, and it's like you're looking through me," Ichigo explained quietly, taking a single step forward. "And when you look around, it's obvious you don't see. You have your own world. I see it in your eyes."

The girl's eyes were sparkling now, as if she liked what Ichigo was saying. "Observant," she said, a slight smile pulling at her lips.

"You're avoiding my question." Ichigo informed her. The smile on her face was more pronounced now. "How do you know _I_ won't hurt you?"

The girl seemed unperturbed by the question, as if she could tell it was hypothetical. As if she just _knew_ Ichigo didn't mean her any harm. "Well, for one thing, you're alone. People usually come down here in pairs, or some other amount of people. For another, you're taking the time to stand here and talk to me, which I'm pretty sure no one else would do. I mean, here I am blind and defenseless-looking. What big, tough guy _wouldn't_ want to take that as a chance to prove to his friends how strong he is?" There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice as she said that. Ichigo half smiled.

"All right, all valid points. You still don't know I won't hurt you."

The girl seemed to find that a bit amusing. "Actually, I do. I'm a pretty good judge of character — it's all about the voice. You have a kind voice."

Just when the night couldn't get any weirder. Ichigo had to physically restrain himself from snorting. "You must be deaf too, then."

The words slipped out before he could stop them. He sobered up at once, ashamed that he said something like that. But the girl didn't seem to mind. In fact, she smiled. "No, no. You try to be tough, but you have a soft side. You've just never let the world see it. Usually the sign of somebody who's suffered — lost someone important to them, maybe."

Ichigo blinked. Damn. Girl was a psychic. "That's…you're…"

"I know I'm right." She sounded pleased now. "I told you, it's all about the voice."

Ichigo just shook his head. "What's your name?" The girl asked suddenly. The sudden change of subject momentarily distracted Ichigo. It took him a moment to answer.

"Ichigo." He said at last. A small smile pulled at her lips.

"Ichigo." She repeated, a hint of amusement in her voice. She wasn't laughing, at least, the way most people did when they heard his name. "Ichigo." She said again. She seemed to like his name.

A new sound reached them, then; a babble of voices making their way through the park. Ichigo, on instinct, looked down at his watch, groaning when he saw the time. "I have to go." He muttered unwillingly. It shocked him how very much he did not want to leave this girl, this strange girl he barely knew. She was a stranger. It didn't matter. He didn't _want_ to leave. It shocked him. And it scared him, just a little. "Can I…see you again?"

The words left his mouth before he could comprehend even thinking them. The girl smiled. It was small, almost shy. And it was beautiful.

"Sure." Her voice was no more than a whisper. "Whenever you want to come back. I'm here every night."

Ichigo's hand moved of it's own accord then, reaching up and carefully tucking a loose lock of the girl's raven hair back behind her ear. He let his fingers dance over the soft skin of her cheek before turning away. He stopped before he'd even taken his first step though, and looked over his shoulder at her. Their eyes connected, and though he knew she couldn't see, it felt as if she was looking right into him. Into his soul.

"What's your name?"

Her soft smile widened. "Rukia." She informed him. Ichigo smiled as well. It felt strange; he hadn't honestly smiled in such a long time.

"Rukia." He repeated softly. "See ya around."

Strangely, unexplainably, he felt much lighter as he walked away. As if some kind of invisible weight had been lifted off his shoulders. But even so, it felt strange to turn away from her, to walk away. He didn't want to.

Ichigo had no memory of the rest of his walk home. His thoughts were somewhere else, somewhere far away from the dark streets of his neighborhood. He could still see, in his mind, the vivid violet color of Rukia's wide eyes. He saw how she looked around, her eyes taking in everything, and yet seeing nothing. He could still hear her hushed tone, the repressed note of amusement in her voice, could still feel her soft skin under his finger-tips…

"Hellooooooo Ichigooooo!"

There wasn't enough time to duck. A pair of socked feet collided with the side of Ichigo's head, throwing him sideways, into a wall. "You're _late_!" Isshin said. He was standing somewhere outside Ichigo's line of vision. His father's feet appeared again out of the corner of Ichigo's eye, but this time he was prepared. He jumped up, swinging his foot out and side-sweeping Isshin's legs, sending the man down.

"Give me a break." Ichigo grumbled as he stumbled back, dragging a hand through his spiky hair. He crossed his arm, looking down at his father, who was whining something about kids not respecting their elders.

"You missed supper." Yuzu called from the kitchen. Her voice was casual, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. And really, nothing had. "I saved you some though, it's in the fridge."

"Forget it, I'm not hungry—"

"Aha!" Isshin grabbed Ichigo's ankle suddenly, yanking it out from under him. Ichigo grunted as he hit the floor again. _Hard_. "Can't let your guard down — urk!" Isshin cut off as Ichigo kicked him in the face.

"Give it a rest!" Ichigo snapped as he stood. He turned away from his father and started up to his room.

"Why do you do that?" He heard Yuzu ask their father. He didn't wait for Isshin's answer before closing his bedroom door. He tossed his bag onto the floor near his desk and fell back on his bed, curling his arms under his head and staring at the ceiling. And again, he saw _her_ — Rukia — in his mind's eye. But it didn't feel like enough.

Seeing Rukia, talking to her, had been, without a doubt, the most _real_ thing that had happened to Ichigo in years. For the first time, Ichigo had felt like more than an observer in his own life. It had been so long since he'd felt that way. He hadn't known it was _possible_ to feel that way anymore.

And he decided.

He _would_ see her again.

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**Author's Note:** So…Whatcha think? Good, bad...um, why are you holding a pitchfork? Review, pretty, pretty, pretty please? — Sam


	2. Endless Night

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

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—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_"Why do you do that?" He heard Yuzu ask their father. He didn't wait for Isshin's answer before closing his bedroom door. He tossed his bag onto the floor near his desk and fell back on his bed, curling his arms under his head and staring at the ceiling. And again, he saw her — Rukia — in his mind's eye. But it didn't feel like enough._

_Seeing Rukia, talking to her, had been, without a doubt, the most real thing that had happened to Ichigo in years. For the first time, Ichigo had felt like more than an observer in his own life. It had been so long since he'd felt that way. He hadn't known it was possible to feel that way anymore._

_And he decided._

_He _would_ see her again._

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_**Shadow of the Day — II**_

—_**:—Monday, March 3**__**rd**__**, 2008 – 8:29 p.m. —:—**_

Rukia tilted her head back, letting her sightless eyes turn to the sky. A soft wind blew, dancing through her hair, bringing the loose strands to life, which tickled against her cheeks. The wind carried the voice of the people in the park, but of course, none of them noticed her. She was alone. As usual.

_"What's your name?" Rukia asked, curious. She was enjoying teasing the boy — he was obviously easily ruffled — but she was also…interested in him. It had been so long since she'd had any kind of real conversation — one that took place _outside_ of her family._

_The boy hesitated, and Rukia wondered for a moment if he didn't _want_ her to know who he was. She was strangely delighted when he finally answered._

_"Ichigo."_

Rukia sighed quietly, smiling. He'd been a strange boy. But Rukia had enjoyed his company. She wondered if he'd really come back. She hoped, perhaps stupidly, that he would.

Ichigo. Rukia half-laughed. The first person she'd spoken to outside of her family in…she didn't know how long. He'd been interesting, for sure. Or maybe it had just been too long since she'd had human contact.

_Should go back_, she thought idly. She didn't know how she had been there. She'd long ago given up on measuring her life in _time_. But she knew she had to go home soon.

Time. It was interesting concept, but, once Rukia had taken the time to think about it, she'd realized it was really utterly useless. She sighed as she stood up, carefully feeling her way around the swing-set, keeping her hand out until she touched on the first tree that marked the beginning of her path home.

Time was something most people thought they had plenty of. Like that boy — Ichigo. To him, tomorrow probably seemed like no big deal. Just another day. More would follow. It was one of the things that made him very different from Rukia, one of the many reasons why, if she was smart, she'd stay away from the park for a few nights, in case Ichigo _did_ decide to come back. Because Ichigo was obviously the kind of person she could easily be friends with. And she couldn't let that happen. Because while Ichigo could blow off one day, knowing there'd be many more to come, Rukia knew each day was important, special. After all, people with her disease weren't exactly known for living long healthy lives.

Rukia looked up at the sky, wishing, for just once, that she could see something; the twinkle of a star, a cloud, even an airplane passing overhead would have been nice. But everything was dark. Just like her world.

Another reason, probably the most important one, why it would have been better if she just cut this thing off with Ichigo before it even began. Because there was no way he'd ever accept her — _really_ accept her. Sure, he'd been okay with the fact that she was blind — which was more than anyone had _ever_ accepted from her. But to tell him the truth — the whole, _real_ truth about her — would be to alienate him forever.

Rukia's hand shot out automatically, grabbing for a branch as her foot caught around something and she went down. She cursed inwardly as her palm scraped against the rough bark. That was something new, whatever it was. She knelt down carefully, feeling the new obstacle. Most likely a fallen branch. It was easy enough to pick up; she tossed it out of her path, sighing before she stood again and began walking once more.

This was her life, this literally never-ending darkness. Rukia's world had always been a constant night. She'd been diagnosed with Xeroderma Pigmentosum as a baby. That diagnosis had been the beginning of the end, so to speak. XP, a life changing condition that basically meant Rukia's body couldn't repair damage caused by the ultra violet rays of the sun. Rukia had never once in her life seen the sun, had never once felt it's warmth on her skin. Because even just a few seconds could lead to severe sunburns, skin cancer…death.

In her rare moments of bitterness, Rukia truly hated the cards life had dealt her. Never would she go out into the sun. Never would she be able to feel it's rays without the fear that followed.

Why would anyone want to be friends with someone like that?

But still…

_"Rukia."_

The way he'd said her name, so softly, his voice wrapping around it like a favorite, worn blanket around a small child…it had to mean something, right?

_Even if it does,_ a morose voice in the back of Rukia's head said, _it won't mean a thing if he finds out the truth about you. No one will ever be able to accept you the way you are. Blind, unable to go out into the sun…you're a freak. And as soon as _he_ finds out, he'll turn on you, just like everyone else. You don't have a place with normal people. You don't belong._

As if Rukia didn't already know all of that, and then some. She knew who she was. She was the girl forever destined to live in the dark…to die in the dark.

She knew who she was.

That didn't mean she had to like it.

The house was quiet when Rukia finally got home. She was glad. Hisana and Byakuya were both good at reading her — too good. They'd be able to tell if something was wrong. And Hisana was nosy, she'd surely push the issue. And Rukia didn't want to deal with it. She wanted to be left alone to stew in her depressing thoughts.

She carefully moved towards the stairs, finding the bottom-most step with her foot and touching her hand to the wall and feeling her way up the stairs. She'd just gotten to the second landing when she heard a door close.

"You're just getting home?" It was Byakuya. Rukia's hand found the door-knob of the first door on the landing — her room.

"Nee-san fall asleep waiting?" Rukia side-stepped the question.

"She's asleep on the couch." Byakuya confirmed. "I should go wake her up, tell her to go to bed…"

"Want me to?"

"I can take care of it. You should get to bed too, it's late."

"Right." Rukia sighed. "Good night Nii-sama."

"Good night Rukia."

She heard her brother's foot-steps descending down the stairs as she closed her bedroom door. That was, she mused, the most she'd spoken to her brother in probably two weeks — if not more. He was a cold, distant person, Kuchiki Byakuya. When he _was_ home — which wasn't very often — he was normally held up in the home office, working. Though in some ways, Rukia preferred _him_ to her sister; Hisana liked to talk a little too much, and she loved using Rukia as a guinea pig when she was studying.

One sibling as an intern-lawyer, another studying to be a therapist. Talk about a lovely family to be caught in the middle of.

Rukia sighed, falling back on her bed, letting her blind eyes stare at the ceiling. Her thoughts were already moving away from her siblings, going back to the park…and to Ichigo.

She wanted to see him again. It was strange and irrational, but she wanted, more than anything, to just speak to him one more time, to hear his voice. It didn't make sense — she'd only known him for one night, after all — but all Rukia could think of was being with him again.

Rukia shook her head, trying to banish the thoughts that had entered it. Of _course_ she couldn't see him again. She couldn't let herself get close to him, couldn't allow herself to become attached. Because he would only hurt her in the end. He would never be able to accept her.

_It's not fair_, Rukia thought, sighing and rolling over so she was facing the wall to her right, tucking her arm under her head and closing her eyes. She wanted one day — just _one day_ — where she could be like everyone else. Where she didn't have to worry about running into the other room when the front door was open, where she _didn't_ need to wait until the sun had set just to step foot out her back door, where she didn't feel like a burden to her siblings. She wanted one day where she wasn't trapped in darkness, fighting a never-ending battle that she was doomed to fail.

Just one day. But that would always be too much to ask.

_I can't go back_, she decided drowsily, just before sleep pulled her under. _I can't see him again. I can't get hurt_.

—_**:—Tuesday, March 4**__**th**__**, 2008 – 7:31 p.m. —:—**_

Ichigo was barely present at supper. Isshin was at some meeting, leaving his kids to themselves. Yuzu and Karin spent most of the time talking about something that had happened at school. Yuzu tried to shame Ichigo into the conversation, but to no avail. Eventually she got the hint and left him alone.

"What time did Dad say he'd be home?" Ichigo asked as he finished eating, setting his bowl down. Karin shrugged in response.

"He didn't really say. Probably late though."

That was good enough for Ichigo. He stood up and brought his bowl over to the sink, washing it out and putting it in the strainer. "I'm going out then. Be back in a few hours, okay?"

"Where are you going?" Yuzu demanded.

"Out." Ichigo said shortly. He loved Yuzu, he really did, but sometimes she acted more like a mother than a little sister.

"Daddy will be mad if you're gone when he gets home."

"I'll get home before he does." Ichigo promised as he slipped his shoes and his coat on. He left before Yuzu could argue with him.

"Are you going out?" Hisana asked as she took Rukia's plate. Rukia heard the ceramic clink together as she picked up Byakuya's plate as well and brought them to the sink. Rukia cringed, trying to figure out a good excuse…

"Sure." She sighed finally, realizing there _was_ no excuse. Anything she said would worry Hisana, considering Rukia was _constantly_ complaining about being stuck inside during the day. "Is it dark enough?"

"You're safe. But take a jacket, it's chilly out—"

Rukia resister the urge to roll her eyes. Hisana wasn't a sister, she was a mother hen. But she did as she was told and went upstairs to get her coat.

Ichigo made his way through the quiet streets of Karakura. The sun had just finished setting, and all was peaceful. For the moment, at least. He looked up at the star-dotted sky, wondering — hoping — that Rukia would be there. It was strange. He had only just met her _yesterday_, and yet in the one day that had passed since then, he'd thought he would go insane waiting to see her again. It was bizarre, it was illogical. But all Ichigo really wanted — really _needed_ — in that moment, was to see her again.

These feelings of need were new and unnerving. Ichigo wasn't quite sure how he felt about them But he wasn't going to worry. Not now. Not yet.

The swings were still and empty when Ichigo arrive at the park. He looked at the swing where, just over twenty-four hours ago, he'd first laid eyes on Rukia. It seemed to be mocking him with it's vacancy now. His heart skipped a beat. She wasn't there.

He told himself not to worry. The night was still young, after all. She could still come. Maybe she was running late. There was no reason to panic.

Ichigo repeated those things to himself over and over as he went sat down on one of the swings, letting it rock slowly back and forth. He could wait. He wasn't worried.

An hour passed. Two. Ichigo looked up at the sky, still rocking slowly back and forth on the swing, then looked back at his watch just as the hour hand ticked onto the ten. Almost two and a half hours he'd sat there. He looked back at the sky, trying to ignore the emptiness, the unexplainable despair that threatened to overtake him. It didn't matter. That was what he told himself as he stood, stretching his joints popping. So she wasn't coming. So what? It didn't really matter.

Even a fool would have been able to tell he was lying.

Ichigo shoved his hands into his pockets. It didn't matter. It didn't matter that she hadn't come. He didn't care.

Except that he _did_ care. He cared a lot. A lot more than he should have. And it bothered him that he cared so much.

There was a low shuffling noise from behind him, as if the wind was blowing, but the air was still. Almost automatically, Ichigo turned around to see what the cause of the noise was.

And there she was. As still as a statue, her eyes locked on him as if she could actually see him. Ichigo's breath came out in a long huff of air. He felt…strange. As if he'd been in pain without knowing. And seeing Rukia there had taken it away.

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**Author's Note:** So......review? -- Sam


	3. To Be Free

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**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

* * *

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_Ichigo shoved his hands into his pockets. It didn't matter. It didn't matter that she hadn't come. He didn't care._

_Except that he _did _care. He cared a lot. A lot more than he should have. And it bothered him that he cared so much._

_There was a low shuffling noise from behind him, as if the wind was blowing, but the air was still. Almost automatically, Ichigo turned around to see what the cause of the noise was._

_And there she was. As still as a statue, her eyes locked on him as if she could actually see him. Ichigo's breath came out in a long huff of air. He felt…strange. As if he'd been in pain without knowing. And seeing Rukia there had taken it away._

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_**Shadow of the Day — III**_

—_**:—Tuesday, March 4**__**th**__**, 2008 – 7:59 p.m. —:—**_

She was only going for a few minutes. Just a few. Then she'd walk slowly home, hopefully killing a couple of hours so Hisana wouldn't be suspicious.

Rukia carefully felt her way through the last of the trees, knowing her path was wearing thin. She was almost there. She took a deep breath, stealing herself. Maybe he wouldn't be there. That would make walking away a lot easier.

He was there. She could hear the swing creak slowly back and forth, and knew it was Ichigo. Who else would it be? Rukia sighed silently, coming to a halt just on the edge of the woods. His back was obviously to her, because he didn't call on her, didn't say anything. She heard him sigh, and wondered how long he'd been waiting there, how long he _would_ wait. Surely not long. He couldn't have been _that_ interested. He would leave soon. Rukia knew _she_ should leave before he did. But somehow, she couldn't bring herself to move. She felt as if her legs had locked into pace, as if roots had grown around her feet, tying her down. She listened to the swing creak, trying to will herself to move. But it wasn't happening.

Time didn't exist in Rukia's world. She was unaware of how many hours passed while she just stood there, listening to the swing, to Ichigo's periodic, quiet sighs.

Finally she heard the swing creak one last time, heard him stand and stretch, his joints popping. He was giving up. Rukia was surprised. She wasn't quite sure how long they'd been there, but it had been awhile. He'd waited longer than she'd expected. But it didn't matter. He was leaving now. It was very unlikely he'd ever come back. Rukia sighed, taking a single step backwards. Surely it was late enough to go home…

She stepped on a couple of fallen leaves. The crinkle hissed audibly through the silent night air. She froze.

Rukia couldn't see Ichigo, didn't know if he had turned to look at her or not. But she felt his eyes on her, felt them meet her own, sightless eyes. It was a very disconcerting feeling. Rukia had never been _this_ aware of anyone before.

"How long have you been standing there?" His voice was gruff. Rukia swallowed, unable to find her own voice. She settled for shrugging. "Informative." Ichigo chuckled weakly. Rukia felt a small smile twitch unwillingly at her lips. She was playing in dangerous territory.

"I didn't think you'd come." She finally said, just to be able to say something. "I mean, you must have better things to do then spend time with a blind girl."

Ichigo snorted. "Yeah, my social calendar is just _so_ full." He said sarcastically. Rukia laughed quietly, going over to her swing and sitting down. After a moment she heard the swing next to her creak as Ichigo sat as well. "I asked I could see you again for a reason, you know."

"I know, it's just…" Rukia struggled with the words. It seemed too good to be true. She thought at first maybe it'd been a dream. She hadn't trusted herself enough to believe it was true. "Never-mind."

She looked up, unseeing, at the velvety night sky. She could feel Ichigo watching her, and ignored it for just a moment. Long enough to get her thoughts in order. "Do you mind if I ask a question?" Ichigo said finally. Rukia laughed despite herself.

"You just did." She pointed out. Ichigo sputtered for a moment before speaking again.

"Smart-ass." He managed to say. Rukia made an amused voice in the back of her throat. She could imagine he had a _lot_ of questions for her, the strange blind girl who was forever bathed in night. The one question he asked _now_ would probably morph into another, and then another, and then a hundred more…

"What do you want to know?" Rukia felt very vulnerable as she gave Ichigo permission to ask his question.

"Have you always been blind?"

The question was so simple, compared to the others he could have asked, that Rukia laughed again, this time in relief. But she bit her tongue, considering her answer for a moment. The wrong words could put her in a bad position. "I lost my sight when I was very young." She said finally, coming up with a good half-lie. "In an accident."

"What happened?" Of course, Ichigo would still be curious. It had been such a vague answer, after all. Rukia sighed.

"I don't know. Nobody ever told me." A total lie. Rukia felt bad the second the words were out of her mouth. Ichigo had asked his question assured that she would tell him the truth. But the truth was so dangerous…

"Does it ever bother you? Not being able to see?" Just as Rukia had suspected, his one question became another one. But at least it was simple stuff, all about her sight. Nothing that could turn into anything else.

"Not really. I've grown up without my eyesight. I'm used to it." Rukia paused, then smiled before continuing to speak. "Besides, I have a really good imagination. I can tell what people look like, just from their voice. And I'm usually always right."

"Oh yeah?" Ichigo's voice was teasing but challenging. "What do _I_ look like then?"

Rukia thought for minute, letting his voice echo silently in her mind. "You look…angry. Always angry. You're always frowning, but your eyes…your eyes don't look angry. They pretend to, but there's…something else hidden behind the anger. Sadness, maybe. Fear. You're never happy though. You pretend to be happy, for other's sake, but you never _really_ are." There was silence when Rukia finished speaking. She smiled. "And right about _now_ I'd guess that you're gaping at me because I was dead-on about everything and you can't believe it."

"Bingo." Ichigo's voice sounded choked. "How…did you…"

"Practice." Rukia said simply. "Lots and lots of practice." She closed her eyes, smiling. "What color are your eyes, anyways?"

"What, you can't guess yourself?" His voice was sarcastic, but not mean. He was still in shock.

"I can…but I'm not good with eyes. I'd guess some kind of brown color, though."

"Close." Again, he sounded impressed. Rukia was surprised. She usually got the eye color wrong. "Amber. Kind of bright, like the sun's always hitting them." Rukia sighed silently at the thought of the sun. She opened her mouth to ask her next question, but Ichigo beat her to it. "My hair is orange. Really bright, really spiky. Gets me into a lot fights."

"Now who's magical?" Rukia muttered, smiling. "You can read minds."

"Nah." Ichigo was smiling now. "Hair color is just the logical second question."

"Sure. You go ahead and deny your magical powers, it's okay. I don't blame you, I mean, they _do_ make you different. And all anyone wants is to be normal, right?"

Ichigo snorted again. Rukia almost laughed at the sound. "If I wanted to be normal I would have died my hair a long time ago." He informed the raven-haired girl. This time Rukia _did_ laugh.

"Okay, that's a good point." She admitted, rocking back and forth on the swing. She was having such a good time. She didn't want it to end. She wished she'd shown herself sooner, so she could have spent more time with Ichigo. But she knew Hisana was up waiting for her, and maybe Byakuya too. And she was sure Ichigo had to get home. "It's late." She said finally, sighing. The thought of saying goodbye was strangely disconcerting.

"Do you have to go?" There was a muted sound of pain in Ichigo's voice. _He_ probably didn't even hear it. But Rukia…well, she heard everything.

"Yeah." She stood up. Her fingers, which were wrapped tightly around the swing's chain, unwound one by one. "My sister is…well, I'm sure she'll be expecting me home soon."

She heard the other swing creak as Ichigo stood as well. "I'll…see you soon?" His voice was hesitant, as if he wasn't sure. And Rukia smiled.

"I hope so." She walked away slowly, feeling Ichigo's eyes on her retreating back.

_**11:14 p.m.**_

Ichigo watched Rukia disappear into the dark woods behind the swing-set. He wondered, vaguely, how she found her way home. She must have known the path very well to be able to navigate it without seeing. Ichigo sighed and turned away from Rukia at last, starting his own walk home. It was late. His father was surely home, waiting to ambush him the moment he walked in the front door.

Ichigo walked slowly, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. All he could think about was Rukia. He'd been worried, tonight, when she hadn't come. And it bothered him that he'd been worried. She was just a girl, after all. Just a girl. It shouldn't have mattered whether or not she'd shown up.

But there was no ignoring it — no ignoring the…_uplifting _feeling that had taken over his body when he'd seen her, when he'd realized she _had_ come, she hadn't abandoned him. There was no way _to_ ignore it. He'd never felt anything like it before. And he didn't like it.

But at the same time…he loved it. Because for the first time in years, he felt different. He felt _alive_.

—_**:—Saturday, March 8**__**th**__**, 2008 – 8:03 p.m. —:—**_

Over the next few nights, Ichigo fell into a pattern — after supper he disappeared into his room for an hour or so, then came up with an excuse to leave. If he couldn't come up with an excuse, he snuck out the window. His family left him alone at night, so he was in no danger of being caught.

Rukia's nights didn't change as much. She'd always left right after supper, trying to get as much time outside as possible. But now she had company.

And what interesting company he was, the orange-haired boy who had accidentally stumbled into Rukia's secret life. It didn't take Rukia long to realize how dependant she was becoming on Ichigo — but she didn't mind it. It was nice to finally have someone to share her night with — someone who understood.

That was what Rukia told herself anyway. That he understood. Because the truth was, he still didn't know everything; still didn't know about her XP. And if Rukia had _her_ way, he'd _never_ know. She wasn't sure how long she _could_ hide it, but she knew one thing — once he found out, it'd be the end. Because _nobody_ could accept her the way she was. Her _parents_ hadn't even been able to accept it. How could anyone else?

"Let's go for a walk."

Ichigo's impromptu words snapped Rukia out of the funk she'd fallen into, bringing her back to reality. She turned to the sound of his voice, cocking her head. "Go for a walk _where_?" She demanded suspiciously. Not that she had any _real_ reason to be suspicious, except she didn't know where Ichigo wanted to bring her. That in itself had the power to make her weary.

"I'll bring you where _I_ go to get away." He stood up, and Rukia heard his joints pop; he was stretching. Rukia looked straight ahead, considering her options. She'd been staying out later and later as the nights had gone on; Hisana had given up on her coming home at an exact time. "It's not too far away." Rukia didn't answer. "Come on. Don't you trust me?"

Rukia was surprised by how quickly her answer came to her. "Yes." Yes. She trusted him. So much more than what could have possibly been safe. A few seconds later, than a large, warm hand wrapped itself around her smaller one.

"Then let's go."

Rukia didn't resist as Ichigo pulled her off the swing. They left, Rukia staying very close to Ichigo's side, clutching his hand tightly. She kept her blind eyes on the ground. "Where are we going?" She asked after a minute.

"It's a secret." Ichigo's voice was slightly teasing. "You'll see when we get there." He paused, as if he realized what he'd said. "I'll tell you when we get there." He said finally.

"That sounds good." Rukia agreed, smiling lightly. Ichigo was so patient — amazingly so. He never seemed to forget that she was blind, and he easily made allowances for it, speaking when Rukia could tell he would have been so much more comfortable shrugging or nodding, and always careful to alert her to his presence when he was approaching her. Rukia thought of her original assessment of Ichigo, and wondered where, in that angry mind, he hid so much kindness.

Rukia heard cars rushing past them, and another thought occurred to her. "What if someone sees us?" She asked after a minute, thinking of her brother, who was, no doubt, on his way home from his office. She shuddered at the thought of Byakuya catching her…with a boy…

"You worried about someone seeing?" Rukia shrugged. She didn't want to say what Byakuya might do if he caught them. The images alone were too disturbing. "I'm not. But if you are we can go back…"

"It's fine." Rukia said quickly. "But…if you happen to see a light blue car pull up alongside us, and a black-haired man with eyes like mine except darker gets out…well, run in the other direction."

Ichigo laughed shortly. If only he realized how serious Rukia was. She thought again of Byakuya catching them, and shivered.

"Are you sure you—?"

"Just keep walking." Rukia ordered, realizing Ichigo was prepared to turn and go back to the park. She didn't care, in that moment, if Byakuya, or anyone else caught them. Because for the first time in…ever…she felt _free_. Free from the suffocating protection of her siblings, free from the disease that plagued her, free from all her worries, her cares.

Being with Ichigo made her free.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Um...review, please? -- Sam


	4. To Say Goodbye

* * *

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

* * *

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_"It's fine." Rukia said quickly. "But…if you happen to see a light blue car pull up alongside us, and a black-haired man with eyes like mine except darker gets out…well, run in the other direction."_

_Ichigo laughed shortly. If only he realized how serious Rukia was. She thought again of Byakuya catching them, and shivered._

_"Are you sure you—?"_

_"Just keep walking." Rukia ordered, realizing Ichigo was prepared to turn and go back to the park. She didn't care, in that moment, if Byakuya, or anyone else caught them. Because for the first time in…ever…she felt free. Free from the suffocating protection of her siblings, free from the disease that plagued her, free from all her worries, her cares._

_Being with Ichigo made her free._

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day — IV**_

—_**:—Saturday, March 8**__**th**__**, 2008 – 8:45 p.m. —:—**_

They hadn't gone far when Ichigo gently tugged Rukia's hand, pulling her to a halt. They turned to the right, starting down a grassy slope. The ground below was soft, grassy.

"Will you _please_ tell me where we are?"

Ichigo didn't answer, but stopped walking again and sat, pulling Rukia along with him. "We're at the river." He said finally, releasing her hand. Rukia flexed her fingers, noticing how empty they felt when they weren't touching Ichigo's. "I come here a lot. It's quiet, a good place to think. And the sunsets are…they're beautiful. Like nothing I've ever seen."

"Probably like nothing _I've_ ever seen either." Rukia joked, smiling lightly. She reached out; her hand touched water almost instantly. She let her fingers glide through the smooth, liquid surface, every now and then feeling a small fish slip past the space in her open fingers.

"Funny." Ichigo's voice was sarcastic, though not mean. It was _never_ mean — not to her, anyway. Rukia had a feeling he could become quite frightening, if he wanted to.

She changed the topic. "What does it look like here?" She asked curiously, letting her blind eyes wander, unseeingly, around the area. She didn't like being in a strange place.

Something of that dislike must have echoed in her voice. "It's not really special." Ichigo started explaining gently. "There's a grassy hill that leads down to it, and the river itself is kind of wide, runs as far as the eye can see. There's a bridge running over it; we're sitting right near the bridge, actually, if you reach to your left you can touch the pillar." Rukia let her free hand do just that, running her hand over the rough stone that supported the large bridge above them. "I come for the view. It's further away from the houses and buildings, not as many lights. You can see the sky perfectly. It's amazing. Tonight there are no clouds, and there's a full moon. It's so bright, it's lighting up everything. It's like a white sun."

Rukia didn't say anything to that. It was becoming harder and harder for her to keep herself from telling Ichigo _everything_, though she so desperately wanted to. She just had to keep reminding herself that it was for the best, that Ichigo would be better off if he never knew. _Everyone_ would be better off.

"So that guy you were talking about before," Ichigo brought Rukia back to reality, "the one I'm supposed to run away from if I see him. Is he your father?"

Rukia laughed humorlessly. "Not quite. He's my older brother, Byakuya. Both my parents are dead."

"Oh." Ichigo was quiet for a few minutes. Rukia heard a bit of mortification in the one word he'd spoken. "I'm sorry. How long—?"

"I was twelve." Rukia said before Ichigo could finish his question. "Almost five years ago now, I guess. And don't be sorry. My parents were…honestly, I didn't know them very well. My sister Hisana has always been the one who took care of me. Byakuya too, but it was mostly by association; he and Hisana are really close. When they were younger they were pretty much best friends. I'm the youngest, kind of the odd sibling out."

Ichigo was silent as Rukia spoke. He took a few seconds when Rukia was done to consider what _he_ was going to say. "I know how that feels." He said finally. "Except I'm the oldest in my family. My younger sisters, Yuzu and Karin, they're twins. Polar opposites, but still somehow friends. I don't really connect with my father; he's permanently three years old, makes him hard to get close to. And my mother…died when I was nine."

As usual, Rukia heard the hesitation in Ichigo's voice, was sure there was more to his story then he was telling. But she wasn't about to call him on it, not when she had her own secrets that she was keeping. So instead she just laid her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry." She whispered after a minute.

"It was hard. We were close to her, all of us." Rukia wanted very much to ask what part of the story Ichigo wasn't telling. But asking was dooming herself to have to tell a story of her own. And she couldn't do that. Not yet.

Not ever.

—_**:—Sunday, March 9**__**th**__**, 2008 – 3:53 a.m. —:—**_

Ichigo jerked awake, blinking. He didn't even remember falling asleep. _Damn it_, he cursed silently, looking at Rukia, who was still sitting beside him, head still on his shoulder. Her eyes were closed, her breathing deep and even, her face peaceful; she'd fallen asleep as well. Ichigo almost didn't want to wake her up. She looked so…beautiful, in sleep. Her skin was bathed in the moonlight, giving it a pale, washed out color. And Ichigo hated to disturb her peace.

But her siblings were probably worried. And Isshin was probably waiting to kill Ichigo. So, with a sigh, the orange-haired boy shook his friend gently.

"Hey…wake up."

Rukia stirred. Her eyes opened, slowly at first, as her mind came back from plain of unconsciousness. Then her eyes shot open, and she bolted up, looking around wildly, obviously disoriented. "Calm down." Ichigo said quickly, realizing that waking up in a strange place was probably frightening for her. "It's just—"

Rukia stumbled up, stopping Ichigo mid-sentence. The color seemed to drain from her face as she continued to look around. "What time is it?" She demanded, her voice twisted with panic. Ichigo looked at his watch.

"Almost four…why? Is your sister going to be mad?"

Rukia didn't answer. "I need to get home." She muttered finally, turning and starting up the hill. Ichigo jumped up quickly and ran to her, grabbing her hand.

"Do you want me to take you home?" He asked. He knew Karakura Town well enough, he could probably find Rukia's house without a problem. She shook her head though.

"Just…back to the park is fine, I can find my way from there."

They walked quickly; Rukia was obviously in a hurry. "_Is_ your sister going to be mad?" Ichigo asked again. Rukia shrugged.

"I dunno. Maybe. If she's still awake." She didn't offer much more than that. Ichigo sighed, letting them fall into silence.

"I'm sorry." He said when they were back at the swings. Rukia looked back at him, their eyes meeting.

"Don't be." She said quietly. "I'm not upset about…this. If it wasn't for…well, it doesn't matter, I guess. I'll see you tomorrow night — or tonight, I guess you could say."

"Yeah." Ichigo sighed as she half-walked, half-ran away. "See ya."

_**4:13 a.m.**_

Rukia had never in her life fallen as much as she did running home that night. She knew she still had over an hour before the sun rose, but she'd never cut it _this_ close. And that scared her. One venture into the sun was enough for _any_ lifetime. She didn't need another encounter.

Rukia was breathing hard as she finally burst through the backdoor, into the kitchen. She could tell, almost instantly, that she wasn't alone. They didn't speak, but she knew they were sitting there, both looking at her. She could imagine their facial expressions; Byakuya was probably angry — _very_ angry. Hisana was probably in the process of morphing from worry to relief. That relief would become anger _very_ soon.

"Hi?" Rukia said finally, uncertainly. Silence. "I know you guys are sitting there. "Please don't give me the silent treatment."

Byakuya was the first to speak. "We're not giving you the silent treatment. We're trying to figure out what in the _world_ possessed you to stay out so late — and not to mention so close to sunrise."

"Rukia what were you thinking?" Hisana's voice was nothing more than a whisper. "Another hour and you could have—"

"I know—" Rukia started to say, but Hisana kept speaking.

"You know as well as I do you won't survive another time—"

"I know!" Rukia's voice came out louder and sharper then she meant for it to.

"Don't raise your voice like that—" Byakuya started to scold her.

"Hush, Byakuya." Hisana spoke quietly. "Rukia, I know it frustrates you, having to live this way, and I know you hate having me and your brother take care of you. But this is the way your life is, and no matter how much you hate it, you have to live with it. Nothing's going to change hand life dealt you."

"I know." Rukia kept her voice low this time. "I know everything you're telling me, and I understand. It's just…it was an accident. I fell asleep—"

"You need to be more responsible—"

"I know—"

"You say you know, Rukia, but _knowing_ isn't going to help you if—"

"If I get caught out in the sun. I know." Rukia sighed, falling back against the wall behind her. She was exhausted, despite her little nap at the river. "Nee-san, Nii-sama, I'm sorry. Really. I didn't mean to worry you, and it won't happen again. I promise."

She really _did_ feel bad. She knew brother and sister worried about her. Sometimes she wished they wouldn't; she didn't even worry about herself, not really. If it wasn't for Byakuya and Hisana…Rukia really wasn't sure _where_ she would be.

_**4:20 a.m.**_

Ichigo was surprised, when he got home, to see that his father was fast asleep, completely unaware of his son's night-time adventure.

Ichigo sighed as he dragged himself up to bed. He had school in a couple of hours. He was so glad it was Saturday — Sunday technically. Either way, he didn't have to get up for school in a couple of hours. That gave him plenty of time to sleep — and to lay awake and think _before_ he went to sleep.

He thought of Rukia, thought of how peaceful she'd been in sleep. She always looked carefree, a product, Ichigo supposed, of living in a world without a sight. But even carefree, Ichigo always saw…something in her eyes. Something Ichigo couldn't explain. Something that made him think there was _more_ to Rukia then just a blind girl. But in sleep…in sleep, whatever deep, inner turmoil haunted her disappeared, leaving her completely at ease.

Ichigo remembered that peaceful look, committed it to his memory. He loved Rukia's expressions, loved the thoughts he could plainly see, though not read, in those expressions.

There was so much — too much — that Ichigo liked about Rukia. It scared him. He had never been this close to a person before. He wasn't sure, quite yet, how he felt about this new bond.

He was sure about one thing, at least. This feeling he had never known — this happiness — he liked it. He liked being around Rukia.

And for now…that was enough.

_**Time Unknown**_

_It's black. It's always black. But it's warm. Too warm. I close my sightless eyes, letting the sun, the very dangerous sun, beat down on my skin. It's only been a few seconds — maybe five or six, maybe even less — but already I can feel the intense blaze of the sun's lethal rays as they burn through my sensitive skin. I feel as if I'm trapped in a furnace, being burned alive. Every sane fiber of my mind screams at me to get back into the house, to go back before it's too late._

_But it's already too late._

_And because I know it's too late, I allow myself to do what I've wanted to do since I stepped foot into the sun for the first time in my life._

_I scream._

Rukia's eyes shot open. She shivered, though she was covered in sweat, as though the sun that had burned in her dreams had warmed her in life as well. For once she wished she could see, just so she could look at her skin, make sure she was okay. But she could feel her bed underneath her, feel her covers twisted around her. She knew she was inside, safe behind the darkened windows that blocked out the UV rays that could — and someday, most likely would — kill her.

She groped around on her night-side table, finding her mostly useless alarm clock and hitting the talk button. The clock was kind enough to tell her it was just after ten a.m. Byakuya had already left for work, Hisana for school.

Rukia sighed as she climbed out of bed. She was safe, for now. Hisana and Byakuya would resume their scolding when they got home.

Rukia soon found herself in the kitchen, trying to find the cereal. She loved her siblings dearly, she really did, but they drove her nuts, the way they moved stuff around, never leaving things where she could find them. Rukia finally gave up. She'd ask Hisana about it later. She fell into one of the kitchen chairs, looking up at the ceiling, thinking about her dream, and how close that dream had come to reality, just the morning. Another hour…

She shivered. _This_ was the side of her Ichigo could never know about. _Would_ never accept. This was why, in the long run, it would be so much easier to walk away.

Walk away. Rukia could barely think it. Never-mind trying to act on it. Rukia knew she was being selfish — knew in the end she was going to just hurt Ichigo…and herself. She knew she couldn't let this go on.

_I just don't know…how I'm going to say goodbye._

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hmn...have I mentioned lately that I love drama/emotional trauma? Yeah...review? Please? -- Sam


	5. Knowing a Person

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**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

* * *

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_Rukia soon found herself in the kitchen, trying to find the cereal. She loved her siblings dearly, she really did, but they drove her nuts, the way they moved stuff around, never leaving things where she could find them. Rukia finally gave up. She'd ask Hisana about it later. She fell into one of the kitchen chairs, looking up at the ceiling, thinking about her dream, and how close that dream had come to reality, just the morning. Another hour…_

_She shivered. This was the side of her Ichigo could never know about. Would never accept. This was why, in the long run, it would be so much easier to walk away._

_Walk away. Rukia could barely think it. Never-mind trying to act on it. Rukia knew she was being selfish — knew in the end she was going to just hurt Ichigo…and herself. She knew she couldn't let this go on._

I just don't know…how I'm going to say goodbye_._

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day — V**_

—_**:—Saturday, March 15**__**th**__**, 2008 – 10:02 p.m. —:—**_

Ichigo was surprised when Rukia didn't come to the park the night after their goof by the river. Her siblings had probably caught her sneaking in, and had given her hell about it, maybe even grounded her for a few days. It wasn't really a shock when she didn't come Monday night either. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, he excused them all. By Friday he was beginning to lose hope.

Finally it was Saturday night once more. Ichigo rocked back and forth on his swing, looking up at the sky. He was worried, a rare emotion for him. He wondered if she was okay, if she was sick, if maybe something had happened to her while she had been running home…

He was driving himself crazy thinking about it.

"Damn." Ichigo cursed as he stood up, checking his watch. It was just after ten. She'd never been later than eight-thirty. He should have already given up, gone home. But some ridiculous part of him still hoped that maybe she would come. He wanted her to come. He _needed_ her to come.

Rukia leaned her head back against the tree she was sitting against, closing her eyes and listening to Ichigo curse. She'd come every night, hiding behind a tree, listening to him wait for her. She'd given herself a week to come up with a way — anyway — to say goodbye. But no matter how hard she tried, the words wouldn't come. She'd hoped, in the time it took her to come up with something, that he would just give up, stop coming.

But he was here, every night, waiting. Waiting for Rukia. She still couldn't believe it. Still couldn't believe a person — an ordinary person with no obligations — would come every night just for _her_. It was mind boggling. And it was slightly frightening.

Another hour passed, maybe more. But finally Ichigo gave up and left. Would tonight be the last night he came back? The thought disturbed Rukia more than it should have. She ignored that and stood to go home as well.

_**11:51 p.m.**_

"Well would you look at that? My delinquent son is _finally_ home."

Busted. Ichigo winced as he shut the door. He was surprised his father hadn't decided to drop-kick him as he walked in. This was the most painless greeting Ichigo had received in years. "Night after night I listen to you tiptoe out — that's right, think you're so sneaky, well surprise, you're not. You're usually home later than this though; I just came down for a drink…"

Ichigo ignored Isshin, starting upstairs. Isshin, of course, had to be annoying, and grabbed Ichigo's wrist, dragging him back. "Hang on there, son. I caught you coming home, and the official Father's Handbook states that whenever a father catches his criminal son sneaking in after curfew, the father has a right to ask — and to be told — what aforementioned son was doing out so late—"

Isshin was cut off by a fist in the face. "Just shut up, would ya?" Ichigo muttered, yanking his wrist out of Isshin's grip and turning back to the stairs.

"Are you part of a gang?" Isshin, of course, wouldn't be detoured. "Or, I know, you're meeting a girl!" Isshin snorted at his own words. "Yeah, right, a girl, that's a good one. As if any girl would be dumb enough to go out with _you_, she'd have to be blind—"

Another fist in his face, this one out of pure anger. "Shut up." Ichigo snarled, yanking his fist back. Isshin rubbed his nose, muttering something under his breath about getting no respect. But finally something in his son's voice registered. Isshin looked up at Ichigo, surprise clear in his eyes.

"You _are_ meeting a girl!" He cheered. "I don't believe it! What's her name, what does she look like, is she pretty? What happened to her that caused such massive head damage—"

A third fist to the face. "You're just a glutton for punishment tonight, aren't you?" Ichigo growled as his father fell back on the floor.

"I'm a well for information." Isshin replied at once, jumping up. "Just fill me up with your secrets, Ichigo!"

"How do you have _this_ much energy _this_ late at night?" Ichigo demanded, changing course and going to get a drink from the refrigerator. Isshin followed, of course.

"So who is she?"

"Just a friend." Ichigo replied shortly, hoping that would satisfy Isshin. Of course, it didn't.

"A friend you sneak out after dark to meet? I don't think so, Ichigo."

"It's the only time we _can_ meet."

"Likely story." Isshin snorted. Ichigo didn't reply, hoping it would shut the older man up. It didn't. Big surprise. "Why can't you meet during the day?"

Ichigo paused, realizing he really didn't know the answer. It had just always been natural that he'd met Rukia in the park, after dark. He had never really thought about a reason _why_. "I don't know." He admitted, cracking open a soda. "Guess she does stuff during the day."

"Sure, sure." Isshin waved his son off, obviously unbelieving. "So what's her name?"

"If I tell you will you leave me the _hell_ alone?" Isshin stopped for a minute, considering Ichigo's words.

"For now." He said finally. Ichigo realized that was the best he was going to get.

"Fine. Her name is Rukia."

Ichigo didn't see the spasm of surprise that flashed across Isshin's face, didn't see the understanding in the man's dark eyes. "I'm going to bed." The orange-haired teen muttered, heading for the stairs.

"Ichigo." He stopped, surprised by how serious his father's voice had become. He looked over his shoulder. Isshin was standing in the kitchen door, watching his son. "What do you know about her — Rukia-chan, I mean."

Ichigo made a face. "You said no more questions." He informed his father before going up to his room, shutting, and locking his door behind him.

—_**:—Sunday, March 16**__**th**__**, 2008 – 7:56 p.m. —:—**_

Rukia swung back and forth on her swing, running through the words in her mind, trying to come up with the perfect way to say just what she needed to say.

She really hoped Ichigo didn't come.

But of course, Rukia's luck never worked that way. She heard Ichigo's footsteps before he'd noticed she was there. When he finally _did_ notice, the footsteps stopped, most likely out of shock. "You're here." The shock reverberated through those two words. Rukia sighed, standing up.

"I'm not staying." She said quietly. "I…can't stay."

"Are you all right?" Ichigo asked at once. Rukia heard him move until he was standing right in front of her. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing…nothing." Rukia reassured him quickly. "It's not…" She bit her lip, shaking her head. She couldn't do this.

"Did you get in trouble for last week?" Rukia smiled weakly, remembering last Saturday.

"Not much. They just told me not to be so late again."

"So then what—"

"I don't think this is going to work." Rukia said the words quickly, realizing too late what they sounded like. "I mean…I don't think we can be friends."

Ichigo was silent for a minute. "Why?" He asked finally. Rukia heard the pain in his voice. It cut through her like a knife.

"There are…" She hesitated. "Things," she finally settled for saying, "a lot of things that I can't tell you about, because you wouldn't understand—"

"Try me." Ichigo interrupted, his voice challenging. Rukia smiled sadly.

"I don't have to. I already know. There are things about me…things that aren't normal. Things you could never accept, no matter _how_ understanding you are. _You_ can't accept them, because even I can't, not really. My own parents couldn't…" Rukia shook her head. Ichigo waited for her to continue speaking, when she didn't, he did.

"Tell me." The two words rang with authority. Rukia knew, from the time she'd spent with him, that Ichigo was a person who got what he wanted, who could be a leader if he wanted to. He would go many places. Having Rukia with him would just hold him back. This was better for everyone.

That was what Rukia told herself.

"I wish I could." She said wistfully. "I'm sorry. I didn't…mean for this to happen. I tried to…to stop it, that first night. But I couldn't stop myself from coming, just for a few minutes…just to see you…it was very wrong though, the two of us trying to be friends. I realize that now. We're…too different. It won't work."

"And…that's it?" Ichigo was trying so hard to sound strong. But Rukia heard the muted pain in his voice. Of course she did. She heard everything. "You're just going to give up without even trying? What kind of attitude is that?"

"It's a bad one." Rukia agreed with his unspoken words. "But the way I see it…better to give up and never know what happened, instead of having it end badly."

And with that, Rukia turned, starting to head back for the woods. A rough hand grabbed her wrist, holding her back. "You say you're so good at reading people?" Ichigo said, his voice cracking as he spoke. "Well so am I. So here it is — _you're_ the kind of person who's been hurt a lot in your life, been betrayed by someone you trusted. And now it's impossible for you to trust _anybody_, and you push people away when they try to get close to you, because you're afraid of being hurt."

Rukia was quiet for a long time, letting his explanation sink in. "You're almost as good as I am." She said finally, pulling her wrist out of his grip. "Goodbye…Ichigo."

She walked away. "You said you trusted me!" He called after her. Rukia stopped walking and turned halfway to look back at him.

"I do. And that's the part that scares me the most."

This time he let her walk away.

_**9:30 p.m.**_

Ichigo leaned back on the grassy hill, staring at the star-dotted sky. He hadn't been able to stay at the park after Rukia had left him.

_Left him_. The word didn't sound right for the situation. It was like saying she'd _broken up_ with him. They'd just been friends, after all. No big deal. She'd decided she didn't _want_ to be his friend. There was nothing else, because they'd never _been_ anything else.

Except…

Except that Rukia had made Ichigo feel more alive than he could ever remember feeling. Except that every time Rukia had smiled or laughed at something Ichigo had said, he could have just about floated away. Except that being with Rukia had been the only thing that had made Ichigo's existence _worth_ anything.

No. She was more than a friend.

Except she wasn't _anything_ now.

Ichigo closed his eyes, blocking out the stars, trying to imagine, just for a moment, the world Rukia lived in. Wondered if this would give him a little more perspective.

All it succeeded in doing was making him more annoyed. _What went wrong?_ He wondered again. _Was it something I did? Something I said? Was she upset that I made her get home so late? Did I hurt her without realizing it?_

It was driving him nuts.

_"I didn't…mean for this to happen. I tried to…to stop it, that first night…"_

Ichigo remembered the night after they'd met, when he gone to the park to wait for her, only to find she wasn't there. And she'd been so late…she'd been doubting this — doubting _him_ — from the very beginning. That hurt much more than it should have.

Ichigo opened his eyes again, looking up at the stars. _What went wrong?_ He asked silently. _I'm sure you're watching Mom…maybe you could tell me…was it me? Her? Some combination of both?_

The stars were silent, of course. Ichigo pushed himself up, stretching and shoving his hands into his pockets, heading for home. He walked slowly, realizing that this would be the last night he would wander these streets. Because as much as it pained him, he wouldn't do something if Rukia didn't want him to. And Rukia didn't want him to come and see her anymore.

That part of his life was over.

"You're early." Isshin was surprised when Ichigo walked in. "I figured another couple of hours at least, you _always_ stay out late—"

"Yeah, well that's a thing of the past." Ichigo muttered, going to the kitchen to get a drink. Isshin followed, curiosity bright in his dark eyes.

"Why, did something happen?" Ichigo was surprised by Isshin's genuine concern — surprised and suspicious.

"What do you care?" Ichigo asked, heading for the stairs. Isshin stopped him on the first step.

"We need to talk." His voice and face were serious, an unnatural personality trait for goofy Kurosaki Isshin. Ichigo was so surprised that he actually felt inclined to follow his father to the living room, to hear what Isshin had to say.

"What's going on?" Ichigo asked wearily. Isshin sat down on the couch, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. Ichigo leaned against the wall across from the couch, glaring his father down. Isshin didn't speak right away.

"Listen…about your friend. Rukia. What do you…_know_ about her?" Ichigo made a face.

"I don't know…what _should_ I know?"

"Well…how about her last name?" Ichigo winced. Now that he thought about it, he _didn't_ know that. Stupid. "Fine." Isshin moved on when he realized he wasn't going to get an answer. "Do you know anything about her family?"

Ichigo was glad he could answer _this_ one. "Her parents died when she was twelve. She lives with her brother and sister — Hisana and Byakuya, I think she said their names were." Isshin nodded, looking strangely grim. Ichigo was instantly suspicious. "What's with twenty questions?" He demanded. Isshin sighed.

"I…know your friend." He said after a moment of hesitation. "Not well, but I know her. Your mother and her mother friends, we knew the whole family." Isshin smiled at some long ago memory. The smile faded almost instantly.

"I don't remember them." Ichigo said flatly.

"No, you wouldn't." Isshin agreed. "You met her parents once when they came over. But Hisana and Byakuya were too old to be bothered playing with you, and Rukia-chan…" Isshin's voice drifted off for a minute. "Ichigo, did Rukia-chan ever tell you _why_ she's blind?"

The question took Ichigo by surprise. "I…no. She told me it was an accident, but that no one ever told her what…happened…"

Isshin smiled gloomily. "Talented little liar." He said approvingly. "Gets that from her mother, she was devil."

"She was…lying?" Ichigo couldn't explain why he felt hurt by this. Isshin nodded.

"Rukia-chan is…different, Ichigo. Very different from you. She has a…condition…called Xeroderma Pigmentosum. Most people call it XP for short. It basically means her skin can't protect itself against the UV rays of the sun. It's a terrible thing to have — the sun could literally kill her. Imagine living that way."

Ichigo felt as if every limb — every cell — in his body had gone numb. "You…you're kidding, right?" He finally managed to choke out. "Please tell me you're kidding."

"I know a joke a lot, but do you _really_ think I'd kid about something like this?" Ichigo was at a loss for words. "She told you she lost her sight in an accident?" Ichigo just nodded. "It was an accident, all right. The problem with XP is that it's something that nine out of ten times it isn't diagnosed until it's too late — until the person has been exposed to the sun for the first time. Rukia was diagnosed maybe a week after she was born. Her mother liked to sit out in the backyard, so after they brought Rukia home from the hospital, she brought her out as well. She noticed that Rukia's skin burned after being out in the sun for just a few minutes, and Rukia was in constant pain afterwards. Finally her parents took her to the doctor, and she was diagnosed with XP."

"What does that—"

"Have to do with her sight?" Isshin finished Ichigo's sentence. "Some cases of XP don't just affect the skin, they effect eyes too. Rukia was one such case. The exposure of her eyes to the sun damaged them; there was nothing the doctors could do. Within two months of being born, Rukia completely lost her sight."

Ichigo tried to swallow, but his throat felt blocked. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe how stupid he'd been. "I…didn't know…"

"It's not exactly a common disease." Isshin tried to console his obviously upset son. "Have you ever even heard of it before tonight?" Ichigo shook his head slowly. "It's not your fault you didn't guess. Rukia's lived with this her whole life. She's good at hiding it."

"Still…" Ichigo was having a hard time breathing. He slid down the wall, landing in a heap on the floor. He couldn't believe it, couldn't believe he'd never even _thought_ to ask why they only ever met at night. It had just seemed natural to him.

"I'm sorry." Isshin really _did_ sound sorry too. "I didn't mean to throw all this at you. I just thought…you deserved to know."

Ichigo thought he deserved to know too. He'd only known Rukia for over a week. But he'd felt closer to her than he'd ever been to anyone in his life. And now…

Now he felt like he didn't even know her.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So I've decided this is going to be around fifteen-twenty chapters, more or less. I have the whole trauma/drama part played out in my head, I just need to work my way up to it. That's the fun part =P Review please? — Sam


	6. Two Worlds

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

* * *

—**_:—:—…Previously…—:—:—_**

_"It's not exactly a common disease." Isshin tried to console his obviously upset son. "Have you ever even heard of it before tonight?" Ichigo shook his head slowly. "It's not your fault you didn't guess. Rukia's lived with this her whole life. She's good at hiding it."_

_"Still…" Ichigo was having a hard time breathing. He slid down the wall, landing in a heap on the floor. He couldn't believe it, couldn't believe he'd never even thought to ask why they only ever met at night. It had just seemed natural to him._

_"I'm sorry." Isshin really did sound sorry too. "I didn't mean to throw all this at you. I just thought…you deserved to know."_

_Ichigo thought he deserved to know too. He'd only known Rukia for over a week. But he'd felt closer to her than he'd ever been to anyone in his life. And now…_

_Now he felt like he didn't even know her._

* * *

**_Shadow of the Day — VI_**

—**_:—Sunday, March 16th, 2008 – 8:32 p.m. —:—_**

"What the heck are you doing home?" Hisana asked when Rukia walked in. She could tell, from the sound of clinking ceramic, that her sister had just finished doing the dishes. "Do you know what time it is?" She stopped, then said, "oh, of course you don't, you refuse to wear the watch I bought you."

"Time is a restraining chain that man invented to have some kind of order in his life." Rukia muttered as she fell down into a kitchen chair, dropping her head on the table.

"Cheerful as always." Hisana sighed. "You've just been in such a _chipper_ mood this week, Rukia. Anything you want to talk about?"

"Not particularly." Rukia said, her voice bouncing off the table just inches from her face. There was a beat of silence, then she heard another chair scrape against the floor as Hisana pulled it back and sat down.

"You want big sister or therapist-in-training?"

"Sister, please." Hisana laughed, obviously delighted.

"You got it. So what's the problem?"

Rukia sighed, pulling herself upright again. She wasn't even sure where to begin. "It's…a long story."

"You doing anything of great importance?" Hisana had her younger sister there. Rukia tried to figure out the best way to start. She knew the one road _not_ to take, at least — starting with _there's this boy_ would be a one road ticket to a slow and torturous death.

"It's just…I met this…this person at the park one night. Don't freak out," she added quickly, knowing Hisana was on the verge of doing just that. "He was really nice and—"

"Oh _he_?" Hisana's voice was laced with understanding. Rukia back-pedaled quickly.

"Don't even think it Nee-san, he's just a friend — or he was, anyway." Rukia was surprised by how bitter her voice sounded as she added that last part.

"Was?" Hisana repeated, curious. "Did you two have a fight?"

"Kind of…no." Rukia finally relented. "It was…me. He was so nice, and we became friends really fast — just kind of clicked, you know? And that just…" She took a deep breath, holding it for a minute before letting it out in a long huff. But Hisana understood. The woman sighed.

"Not this again, Rukia. You know you have to—"

"Hisana I said sister, not therapist." Hisana cut off quickly.

"Right, right. Sorry." She paused for a minute. "Did you tell him about the XP?"

She had to already know the answer. "Of course I didn't." Rukia said at once. "He never would have accepted it."

"You don't know that."

"Right." Rukia scoffed. Hisana rested her hand over her sister's.

"So what did you do, just tell him you couldn't be his friend anymore?" Rukia shrugged, nodding slowly. "And that's it. You get scared and back out, right?" Rukia didn't answer. "Rukia—"

"Sister, Nee-san." Rukia caught Hisana off again. "Sister. Not. Therapist."

"Guess I can't help it sometimes." Rukia imagined Hisana was shrugging. "You're a good therapy subject."

"Glad to know I'm such a great lab-rat." Rukia grumbled, standing up. Hisana grabbed her hand, holding her back.

"Give me a break Rukia. I just want to help you, you know that."

"You _always_ want to help." Rukia said, yanking her hand back. "Too bad you never know how to."

"That's because you never let me in long enough for me to have a chance." Hisana argued. "Give me a chance Rukia—"

"Forget it." Rukia left without another word. She let herself into her room, slamming the door behind her. She dropped onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow. She wasn't dealing with this. Not tonight. She let her eyes close without a second thought, succumbing to sleep instantly.

—**_:—Wednesday, March 19th, 2008 – 5:30 p.m. —:—_**

Ichigo didn't go back to the park for a couple of days. He needed time to think, to figure out exactly how he was going to approach Rukia. He knew the wrong move would chase Rukia off. And he wanted to talk rationally, if that was possible. He very much doubted it was, unfortunately. But it was worth a shot.

Eventually he made his decision. One day he went straight to the park after school, sitting so he was facing the woods, making it impossible for Rukia couldn't hide from him. He rocked back and forth slowly, watching the sky as it faded from bright blue to yellow-orange, then to velvety-black. Once the sun had completely faded from the sky he turned his head down to look at the woods, waiting for Rukia to come — and hoping beyond hope that she would.

He stayed very quiet, not wanting to make even the smallest sound; he wasn't about to chase Rukia away. He waited…and waited…

Finally, _finally_ he saw Rukia's small outline making its way carefully through the woods. It was amazing, watching her navigate down the bumpy forest path. She didn't trip, not even once. It was incredible.

Ichigo didn't even breathe as Rukia walked over to the empty swing next to the one he was sitting on and sat down. She rocked back and forth slowly, her eyes sad as they turned up to the star-dotted sky. Ichigo watched her, wishing, more than anything, that he could make the sadness in her eyes disappear.

He stood up, his swing creaking as he moved. Rukia jumped a mile, her blind eyes wide as she turned to the source of the noise. "Who—"

"It's me." Ichigo spoke quietly, knowing he'd already startled her. Rukia moved to look towards the sound of his voice. She didn't speak for a long time.

"What do you want?" She asked finally. Ichigo could hear a pleading note in her voice. Was it really so unbearable to be around him?

"I want to — no. I _need_ to talk to you." Rukia was silent, turning away from him, looking into the woods. "Rukia—"

"You said you needed to talk. So talk."

Ichigo bit his lip, not sure where to start. He settled for asking the most simple of questions. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Rukia made a face, not understanding what Ichigo meant. "I don't—"

"You know what I mean." Ichigo's voice was flat, devoid of emotion. Rukia blinked for a minute, confused…then Ichigo saw understanding light up in her violet eyes.

"You…" She couldn't even finish the sentence. After a long moment of silence she stood up quickly, almost a shadow to Ichigo's eyes, and moved past him, heading back for the woods.

"No." Ichigo's voice came out sharp, like a whip. He grabbed Rukia's wrist, holding her back. She shook under his grip.

"Let go." Her voice was low, like a whisper of wind.

"No." Ichigo repeated. "Not until we talk."

They stood like this for several long moments. Neither teen spoke. "What do you want?" Rukia asked finally, her voice desperate. It took Ichigo a minute to figure out how to answer.

"I want…the truth." He finally decided to say. "I want to know why you didn't tell me. I want to understand. Why did you hide it, Rukia?"

Her voice shook as she spoke. "How was I supposed to tell you, Ichigo? It's not exactly something one works into a casual conversation. And besides…you were happier not knowing."

Ichigo scoffed. "_That's_ your excuse? 'You were happier not knowing'? Seriously?"

Rukia shifted, trying again to pull her wrist out of Ichigo's grip. He refused to let go. "You should have told me." Ichigo said firmly, gripping her wrist a little harder.

"Why? So you had an excuse to walk away?" Rukia's voice was no longer shaking, and was slowly beginning to get louder. She whirled around to face him. The action surprised Ichigo so much that he let go of her wrist at last. "You don't get it, do you Ichigo? You don't get what it means. This—" she waved a hand at the area around, "this is it for me. It will _always_ be night-time in my world. This is my life. No one has _ever_ been able to accept it, not even my own family. You say you want to understand, but the truth is, you'll never be able to. You _can't_ understand, because you've never had to live the way I do — and you'll never have to. You and me, we're in two different worlds. Two worlds that will _never_ connect, never understand each other. It's impossible."

"You don't know—"

"Yes, I do." Rukia cut Ichigo off before he could contradict her. There was a glow of defiance in her eyes now. It wouldn't matter what Ichigo said. She wasn't going to listen to him. She was determined to believe she was right. Determined not to let Ichigo in.

That hurt more than anything else.

"You could have told me." His voice was low. He was trying to mask the pain that threatened to overtake his body.

"No." Rukia's voice was quiet now too. "No. I couldn't have. You…you don't know me. You'll _never_ know me."

She walked away before Ichigo could stop her.

**_8:25 p.m._**

Rukia could barely walk straight. Her head was so full of thoughts it distracted her from focusing on much of anything else. She tripped many times, scraping up her hands knees.

She was trying to figure out many things. The most pressing matter on her mind was _how did Ichigo find out?_

It didn't really matter, she supposed. He knew. His method of finding out wasn't important. What was important was that now he knew. And somehow…he'd found it in himself not to push Rukia away.

Not that he wouldn't eventually. Surely once he'd had time to think about, he would realize that Rukia wasn't the kind of person he wanted — or needed — as a friend. He would push her away. Just like everyone else. What Rukia was…there was no way a _normal_ person would ever be able to accept it.

Rukia shuddered. The very _thought_ of it — of Ichigo pushing her away — was almost unbearable. Rukia clenched her fists tightly, until her nails dug into her skin. But the pain in her hands was nothing compared to what was currently coursing through her body.

She hadn't realized, until now, just how…_dependent_ she'd become. It had been hard, telling Ichigo they couldn't be friends. But she had never expected him to listen. She'd expected she would go back to the park and he would be there, waiting for her, like always. The first night he hadn't been there had hurt more than Rukia had imagined was possible. And then he hadn't come again…and again…

And suddenly he was there again. When Rukia had heard his voice again tonight, it'd been like waking up from a dream. She'd been so _happy_ that he'd come back…

And now she very much doubted she would ever see him again.

Rukia barely noticed when she finally got home. The first thing she was consciously aware of was standing outside her back-door, her hand on the door-knob, waiting for the order to turn the knob and open the door.

But Rukia couldn't move. All she could was stand there…and wonder when things had gotten so horribly complicated.

—**_:—Thursday, March 20th, 2008 – 8:02 a.m. —:—_**

Ichigo rocked back and forth on the front step of what he assumed was Rukia's house. He'd felt like an idiot last night when he'd asked his father what Rukia's last name was. And with the name in mind — Kuchiki — he'd dove into the pages of the phone-book. There'd been over nineteen Kuchikis — Ichigo had remembered that Rukia's brother's name was Byakuya, and had tracked that one down. He'd written the address on a scrap piece of paper.

And now here he was. Staring at the front door. Trying to will himself to ring the doorbell There had been no cars in the driveway, but Ichigo knew Rukia, at the very least, would be home. He kind of hoped she was home alone — he didn't want an audience for what was most likely going to become a fight.

Thankfully, his finger developed a mind of its own, reaching out and pressing the button. He heard the sound of the bell echo through the house. It was silent for a few minutes, then there was a _clicking_ noise as the door was unlocked. Another minute of silence, then a painfully familiar voice called, "all right, you can come in."

It took Ichigo a minute to respond. But finally he managed to make his hand move, to grasp the door-knob and push the door open. He stepped in and shut the door behind him, finding himself in the living room. It was dark, and Ichigo saw that the windows were tinted, preventing sunlight from filtering in. There was a couch tucked in the left corner furthest from Ichigo, with an arm-chair next to it, and the TV along the wall across from the pieces of furniture. There were only three walls in the room — where the fourth wall should have been was open, and led into what was most likely the kitchen — Ichigo could see the kitchen table from where he stood. This was where he assumed Rukia was, as he heard what sounded like cabinet doors being opened.

"Seriously." He heard Rukia sigh. "You always forget your house-key; Nii-sama is going to glue it to your hand."

Ichigo realized, as Rukia spoke, that she thought he was someone else — probably her sister. He opened his mouth to tell her the truth, but she was speaking again before he could say the words. "As long as your back, mind telling me where you put the cereal? You always move it, I never know where it is…"

Her voice drifted off. Ichigo sighed silently as he made his way into the kitchen. Rukia was standing right in the middle of the floor, her arms crossed over her chest as she waited for an answer. She'd obviously just woken up; she was even still wearing her pajamas.

"It's me." His voice was quiet, almost non-existent. But he knew Rukia heard it.

She didn't say anything for a very long time. Her arms uncrossed themselves, falling loosely to her side. "What are you doing here?" She whispered. The pain in her voice was almost tangible. Ichigo let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"I want to talk to you." He said, though the six simple words didn't even _begin_ to cover why he was there. "I want to…to understand. To make _you_ understand."

The words didn't make sense to Rukia. Ichigo could see the light of confusion in her violet eyes. "You want to make _me_ understand?" She repeated slowly. Ichigo nodded, then remembered, belatedly, that she couldn't see him.

"Yes. Because obviously you don't. You don't want to let me in because you're afraid of being hurt — because you're afraid that knowing the truth will make me go away. But you don't understand…" Ichigo paused, taking a deep breath before trusting himself to continue, "you don't understand that there is _nothing_ about you that could drive me away. Because you're the best thing that's happened to me in a long time, because you're exactly the kind of person I would want in my life, if I knew myself well enough to _know_ what I want." It was a bold declaration. One Ichigo had to be _very_ sure of himself to say.

Rukia didn't speak. So Ichigo continued. "You say we live in two worlds that aren't meant to connect. I say the hell with that. If you want to think we're really from two different worlds, then fine. I don't need _my_ world — I don't _want_ my world, not without you. I can live in _your_ world. If you'll let me."

Rukia's eyes widened as Ichigo finished speaking. She seemed…almost scared. "No!" Her voice was loud, high-pitched. It surprised Ichigo — that was the loudest she'd ever spoken, to him anyway. "No, no, no!" She shook her head back and forth, as if in denial. "I'm not…this isn't…" She seemed to have a hard time stringing the words together. She turned her back on Ichigo, trying to hide her face. "No, Ichigo. No."

Ichigo tried to push away the hurt that threatened to overthrow him at the sound of the rejection. He took a couple steps towards Rukia, reaching out a hand and resting it on her shoulder. He took it as a good sign when she didn't throw him off.

"Why not?" He couldn't keep his voice from shaking, just a little, as he spoke.

"Because…that's not fair to you." Rukia's voice was barely a whisper. "Because you have a life — a _real_ life. You have dreams, a future. There's so much for you to do. You can be anything. You have your whole life ahead of you, and you should be trying to live it to the fullest. Not wasting your time with me. I'm not going to be the reason you give up everything you can be. I…I _won't_ be the reason. I can't do to you what I've done to my siblings. I…I…"

But words seemed to fail her. Her shoulders were shaking now, as if she were trying not to cry. Ichigo bit his lip, swallowing hard. "I won't be a burden to you." Rukia finally whispered, tears choking her voice. Her words shocked Ichigo more than anything else that had been said that morning.

"You…" It took him a minute to speak. "You could _never_ be a burden, Rukia. You're my…my friend." The word sounded so…_wrong_ when Ichigo said it. He didn't understand, so he ignored it, moving on. "You're my friend, and I'll never regret meeting you. I want to be with you. And I know that seems…wrong…to you, and I'm sure nothing I say or do will change that opinion, but honestly, I don't care. As long as…as long as you let me be with you. That's all I'm asking for, Rukia. I want to be with you."

Rukia didn't say anything. Ichigo wondered, for a moment, if maybe he'd gone too far, scared her. But then she raised her hand, brushing it over Ichigo's fingers before rubbing her eyes.

"Ichigo…"

Ichigo decided to take a chance. He took a step forward, raising his other arm and wrapping both arms around Rukia, drawing her against his chest. He took a minute to marvel at how perfectly Rukia seemed to fit in his arms — as if they'd been made just for her — and then she bowed her head and let the tears fall. They slipped down her cheeks, each drop falling against Ichigo's arm.

With each tear that fell, Ichigo silently promised that never again would Rukia cry. He would protect her.

Forever.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Whew! That was a packed chapter, wasn't it? Anyways, seems like now things should get better, right? Hahahahaha…if you thought that then you're obviously a first-time reader of my stories. Things might be easy for a chapter or two, but they're going to get complicated again _real_ soon. Fasten your seat-belts boys and girls, there's a bumpy ride comin' up. Review please! — Sam


	7. To Know You

* * *

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_Rukia didn't say anything. Ichigo wondered, for a moment, if maybe he'd gone too far, scared her. But then she raised her hand, brushing it over Ichigo's fingers before rubbing her eyes._

_"Ichigo…"_

_Ichigo decided to take a chance. He took a step forward, raising his other arm and wrapping both arms around Rukia, drawing her against his chest. He took a minute to marvel at how perfectly Rukia seemed to fit in his arms — as if they'd been made just for her — and then she bowed her head and let the tears fall. They slipped down her cheeks, each drop falling against Ichigo's arm._

_With each tear that fell, Ichigo silently promised that never again would Rukia cry. He would protect her._

_Forever._

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day — VII**_

—_**:—Thursday, March 20**__**th**__**, 2008 – 8:37 a.m. —:—**_

Ichigo skipped school that day for the first time in his life. He was sure that action would come back to haunt him — and all too soon. But he didn't care, right then. He didn't want to leave Rukia. Even the thought of it was too much to bear, at that moment.

His delinquent action didn't go unnoticed by Rukia, of course. "Don't you have school?" She asked as she came back downstairs — she'd gone up to her room to get dressed. Ichigo shrugged.

"Skipping one day isn't going to kill me." Rukia frowned and opened her mouth to protest. Ichigo switched tracks quickly. "Do you _want_ me to go? 'Cause I will if—"

"No!" Rukia said quickly. "I mean…I just don't want you to get in trouble, that's all."

Ichigo chuckled. "I'm not too worried about it. I've never missed a day of school in my life, so I doubt they'll call my father — and even if they do, I don't think he'll care if I skip. He's pretty easy-going."

Ichigo found the cereal for Rukia, who grumbled something about her siblings having no respect for the blind as she dug out a couple of bowls. Ichigo watched, amazed, as she navigated easily around the kitchen, never once even coming close to walking into anything. Obviously she had long ago memorized the layout of the kitchen — but it was still amazing, the way she moved with absolute ease, so comfortable, so sure of herself.

Ichigo couldn't help but wonder how long it had taken her to become this comfortable.

"What's it like?" Ichigo asked quietly as he watched Rukia make her way around the kitchen. She didn't answer at first.

"It's…normal." She said finally, her voice hesitant. "For me, anyway. I've never known any other life — I've always lived in darkness. I lost my sight before I even knew what it was, so that was never an issue."

"And…not being able to go into the sun…?"

Rukia pushed her cereal around in the bowl, considering her answer for a minute. "That was…a little harder. I always felt like a burden to my family. My parents never really knew how to treat me — I wasn't like my brother or sister, I was new territory. They tried so hard, but they never knew. Nii-sama and Nee-san didn't really know either. Nii-sama tried to avoid me as much as he could. Nee-san…was the only one who ever really made an effort. She spent time with me, and told me about her day, she helped me with the work my tutors gave me…she _tried_. She was the only one who ever did."

Ichigo tried to imagine what it was like to not be close to his family. As much as his father drove him nuts sometimes, he loved him — mostly. And he loved his sisters too, more than anything. Maybe he sometimes _felt_ like an outcast in his family, but he knew he wasn't. He always had a place in his house.

He couldn't imagine being an outcast and knowing it.

"It's not as bad as I'm sure you're thinking." Ichigo just stared at Rukia. God, could she read _minds_ or something? "Maybe I'm just used to it, I don't know. My brother was never really the warm and fuzzy type anyways — or that's what Nee-san says. And my parents…I don't know. I didn't know _them_. I lived with them for twelve years and I never knew them."

Rukia fiddled with her spoon as she finished speaking. She was sure Ichigo didn't really _care_ about her sob story. She felt bad for making him listen. It had just been so long…too long since anyone had listened to her…

_Ring-Ring_

Rukia was glad when the phone rang. She jumped quickly, banging her knee against the table-leg. Cursing under her breath she limped over to the phone, yanking it off the hook. "Hello?" She grumbled.

"_Morning grumpy_." A cheerful voice teased. Rukia resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"What's up, Nee-san?" She asked with a sigh. She loved Hisana, she really did. But the woman was too damn cheerful in the morning.

"_Reminding you that you have a doctor's appointment tonight_." Rukia winced. Hisana correctly interpreted her silence. "_You forgot._" It wasn't a question.

"Yes." Rukia kept her answer short, remembering that Ichigo _was_ sitting right behind her. Hisana chuckled. "Don't you have a class to go to?"

"_In a minute, yes. But I figured you'd forget about your appointment, and you can't be bothered to drag yourself out of bed before I leave—"_

"You leave at seven. What normal person is up at _seven_?"

"_When did you become normal again?_"

"Oh that's just low, Nee-san."

Hisana laughed. "_Just don't forget. I'm going to be late tonight, I have a night class, Byakuya's picking you up around seven — try to be ready._"

"Time, time, time." Rukia sighed. "It's sad the way you people are all trapped by _time_."

"_We can't all be privileged enough to live in your world, Rukia. Seven. Don't forget_."

"Go to class." Rukia sighed.

"_Yes ma'am. Talk to you later._" Rukia was glad when Hisana finally hung up.

"Something wrong?" Ichigo asked as Rukia put the phone back on it's cradle. She shrugged.

"Nothing important. Just my sister being…well, my sister."

It was, without a doubt, the most enjoyable day Rukia'd had in a _long_ time. The only time she ever had company at home was during school holidays. And Hisana was rarely good company — especially not when she was studying, and tried to use Rukia has a study subject.

But Ichigo…he talked to her, listened to her, and seemed to actually _enjoy_ being around her. It was like another night in the park, with just the two of them hanging out at the swings, talking. But it was different, too. When they were at the park, it felt like stolen time — like they were hiding, waiting for some grand master to catch up with them, to take away what they had.

But here, in the safety of her house, Rukia felt as if maybe, just maybe, it was okay for them be together.

Rukia wondered how long it would be before that feeling was taken away.

_**4:35 p.m.**_

Ichigo shoved his hands into his pockets, looking up at the sky. The entire day had just been like…a dream.

Ichigo very much wished he never had to wake up.

_"I have…things to do tonight." Rukia said as Ichigo prepared to leave. He heard a hesitant tone in her voice. "I don't think I'll be done in time to meet you."_

_Ichigo couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. It was selfish, he knew, to want _more_ time with Rukia, on top of the time he'd already gotten that day. Still…_

_If he was being honest with himself, he'd admit that he never wanted his time with Rukia to end. He wanted to see every day, all the time, no interruptions, no worries. He wanted to be with her._

_He shook off the feelings. He wasn't good at being honest with himself._

_"Will you come tomorrow night?"_

_Rukia smiled and nodded slowly. "Without a doubt."_

_Ichigo couldn't stop the grin that spread over his face. He was glad Rukia couldn't see him. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."_

_Rukia's smile widened. "Yeah. See you."_

Ichigo felt as if he were walking on air. It seemed wrong, so very wrong, for him to be happy. It was stolen happiness, he knew that. But in that moment, he didn't care.

"_Hellooooo Ichigooooooooooo_!"

Ichigo ducked automatically. Out of his peripheral vision, he saw a blur of white and red and yellow as his father flew by him, crashing into a wall. "Jeez," the orange-haired teen muttered as he straightened up, running a hand through his hair. "Most people say 'welcome home' but not you, oh _no_, that would be too easy…"

He sighed as he started up the stairs, only to be ambushed by his Yuzu halfway there. "Hi Ichi-nii!" The girl chirped as she came out of her room. "I have a question."

Ichigo shoved his hands into his pockets, a little weary. Yuzu always had the best intentions, but her questions could sometimes be a little awkward. "What's up, Yuzu?"

"Well, Daddy told us that you have a new friend," Ichigo cursed internally, "and he said that we should invite her over for supper one night, so how 'bout it? Will you ask your new friend to come over?"

Stupid, stupid Isshin. Ichigo was going to _murder_ the man. "I…don't know Yuzu, we'll see." Ichigo said finally, turning to head to his room.

"Aw, please?" Yuzu pouted as she bounced forward to keep pace with her brother. "I want to meet to Ichi-nii's new friend, I bet she's really nice! _Please_, Ichi-nii?"

Yeah. Isshin was _definitely_ going to die. "I…we'll see Yuzu, okay? I have…homework to do, call me when supper's ready."

And with that he gratefully escaped to his room.

_**9:55 p.m.**_

Rukia sighed, folding her arms over the porch railing and putting her chin on her arms, turning her sightless eyes to the sky, replaying for herself the description Hisana had given her millions of times before.

_A thousand little dots, kind of like Braille, all white and all set against black. They're all bright and they twinkle, like the sky is looking down on you, watching over you_.

Rukia closed her eyes, sighing, as the door behind her opened, disturbing her peace. "Look at you out here, all contemplative and such." Hisana said, and Rukia imagined she was smiling. "Whatcha doing?"

"Thinking." Rukia muttered. She heard the chair next to her scrape against the wooden porch as Hisana sat down. "And before you ask, no, I won't tell you what I'm thinking about. I don't need a therapy session tonight."

Hisana laughed. "I wasn't planning on giving you one, unless that's what you want…"

"_No_." Rukia said firmly. "All right don't even think it. I just want to be left alone to my thoughts with no interferences from the future Dr. Kuchiki, thank you very much."

"Fair enough." Hisana said, not sounding at all put off by her sister's attitude. "How was your doctor's appointment?"

"Same." Rukia muttered, rubbing her hand over the spot where they'd drawn blood. She _hated_ having blood drawn. "Not going to die anytime soon, anyways."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Hisana's voice was low, obviously concerned.

"I said I don't want a therapy session." Rukia snapped. Hisana was silent for a minute.

"Well when my little sister makes it sound like it's _bad_ that's she not going to die…yeah, I tend to be concerned. It's not about being a therapist, it's about being a concerned sibling. A _very_ concerned sibling. Or am I not _allowed_ to be that now?"

Hisana's voice took on a bitter note in the end. Rukia sighed, not bothering to answer. "Come on Ru-chan. Penny for your thoughts."

"Don't call me that." Rukia shivered at the sound of her childhood baby name. Hisana laughed a little. "I just…I don't know. Have you ever thought maybe some things are just too good to be true?"

Hisana picked up instantly on what Rukia was saying. "The boy you were meeting in the park?"

"Yeah, him. We um…we made up…talked things out. He knows."

Hisana didn't say anything for a long time. "You…_told_ him?" She asked finally, her voice colored with shock. Rukia nodded slowly. "That's…_wow_, Rukia…that's great—"

"Not sure what's so great about it, but all right." Rukia muttered. "Anyways he's just so…so _okay_ with it, and I don't understand, I never knew it was possible for anyone to…to accept—"

"That's because you've never _tried_." Hisana broke in quietly. "You've always just assumed that people don't like you…that they'll think you're a freak…you've never let anyone in before, Rukia. So for this…for you to give yourself up to this boy…to trust him enough to tell him…it's a big thing, sweetie."

Rukia shook her head slowly. "It isn't right, Nee-san. _No one_ should be able to accept this. Mom and Dad didn't. You and Nii-sama don't. And he just…he shouldn't."

Silence. Then the sound of a chair scraping against the wood sounded as Hisana stood up, wrapping her arms tightly around Rukia's shoulders. "I accept _you_, Rukia." She whispered. "You're my sister, and I love you, and I accept everything that comes with you — flaws and all. Don't _ever_ think otherwise."

Rukia bit her lip, unsure of what to say to that. Finally she settled for saying nothing at all.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well…I liked it. But what did _you_ think? Review, please, and let me know? — Sam


	8. One Day At A Time

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

* * *

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_Rukia shook her head slowly. "It isn't right, Nee-san. No one should be able to accept this. Mom and Dad didn't. You and Nii-sama don't. And he just…he shouldn't."_

_Silence. Then the sound of a chair scraping against the wood sounded as Hisana stood up, wrapping her arms tightly around Rukia's shoulders. "I accept you, Rukia." She whispered. "You're my sister, and I love you, and I accept everything that comes with you — flaws and all. Don't ever think otherwise."_

_Rukia bit her lip, unsure of what to say to that. Finally she settled for saying nothing at all._

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day — VIII**_

—_**:—Saturday, March 22**__**nd**__**, 2008 – 10:59 p.m. —:—**_

"The swings are very loud." Rukia said out of nowhere. Ichigo turned to raise an eyebrow at the raven-haired girl.

"You're only _just_ realizing that? Very observant." Rukia stuck her tongue out at Ichigo, who rolled his eyes. "Oh _very_ mature, midget."

"Ex_cuse_ me?" Rukia asked, sounding offended. Her hand flew out with amazing accuracy, making fairly solid contact with Ichigo's arm.

"…Ow."

"Oh suck it up. I barely touched you."

Ichigo chuckled under his breath, turning his eyes to look at the stars. Rukia rocked back and forth on her swing, looking very content.

"My sister wants to meet you." Rukia said suddenly. Ichigo almost fell off his swing.

"_What_?" He demanded when he'd recovered. Rukia laughed quietly. "You _told_ her about…about this?"

"Yeah. She's been bothering me about it ever since, she's very persistent." Rukia rolled her eyes. "She always gets her way. It's such a pain. Don't worry though, I wouldn't subject you to that kind of torture."

Ichigo looked around nervously, as if expecting to see Rukia's sister come bursting out of the bushes. "My family wants to meet you too." He admitted finally. Rukia's lips twitched into a sad smile.

"Right." Her voice was slightly sarcastic. Ichigo hesitated for a moment before reaching out, touching a hand to her shoulder.

"You don't give yourself enough credit. Once you get past the sarcasm and bitterness, you're a good person."

"Oh thanks for the _amazing_ compliment." Rukia's voice was heavy with sarcasm, but her responding smile was honest. Ichigo smiled as well, then looked down at his watch and sighed. Rukia recognized that sigh. "You have to go?"

"Yeah. My dad is good about letting me stay out this late, but…"

"You're pushing your luck now." Rukia finished the sentence, sighing. "It's sad how _trapped_ you _normal_ people are when it comes to time."

"Yes, if only we were _all_ lucky enough to be trapped by nothing more then the movement of the sun and the moon." Ichigo said thoughtfully as he stood up, stretching. Rukia kicked him lightly, but she was grinning.

"You _know_ you're jealous."

"Gee, you just figured out my biggest secret."

If Ichigo had to pick one aspect of this…_thing_ he had with Rukia that he liked best, it would have to the easy, playful banter that seemed to flow naturally between them. It was as if they'd known each other their entire lives.

—_**:—Monday, March 24**__**th**__**, 2008 – 9:46 a.m. —:—**_

Ichigo twiddled his pen between his fingers, not hearing a word the teacher said. Every now and then his eyes would drift to the click. And, inevitably, his mind drifted to Rukia.

He wondered what it would be like to not have to worry about time. He couldn't imagine it. He supposed it was easy for Rukia, who had never even seen a clock. Part of him envied her. But that was stupid, he knew; she was trapped by something much worse, after all.

And yet he didn't feel sorry for her. He would have, he supposed, if she made that possible. But her personality, her will, the very way she acted mad it impossible to feel any pity for her at all. He had a feeling she preferred it that way.

Ichigo sighed, dragging a hand through his hair. Thinking about Rukia really confused him. He could spend hours thinking about her, dissecting her words, her actions, the strange, always-present sparkle in her sightless eyes. But no matter how long he thought about her, he could never come to any kind of conclusions.

And he liked that. He liked the constant mystery that surrounded Kuchiki Rukia.

_Plimp!_

Ichigo jumped as a piece of chalk bounced off his forehead. "Welcome back Kurosaki." The teacher said while the rest of the class snickered. "Can you tell me what I was saying just now?"

Ichigo sighed.

_**10:02 a.m.**_

Rukia kicked her legs back and forth. She was laying on her stomach, her fingers drifting over the Braille letters of the book on the page in front of her. It was a familiar story, one she'd read many times, but she could never get enough of it.

She knew she should be doing her work. Her tutor would be arriving soon, and she'd never done her homework. But at the moment, she didn't really care.

Rukia sighed as her interest in the book waned away, and she tossed it aside. It landed on the floor with a _phwap_, and she hoped she would remember later where it landed. She rolled over onto her back, facing the ceiling. And, inevitably, her mind drifted to Ichigo.

She wondered what he was doing now. She knew he was in school, something she couldn't imagine. What was it like to be around a lot of people for all that time? To have a teacher who taught everyone at the same time? Rukia had only ever had an in-home tutor, had always been the only one around. She wondered what it was like to be in a _real_ classroom.

A low _click_ drifted through the quiet house as the front door was unlocked, then opened. "Kuchiki-_san_!" A voice sang out. Rukia sighed as she sat up, slipping her feet into her slippers and starting downstairs. "Good morning Kuchiki-san!" Inoue Orihime chirped.

"Morning Inoue." Rukia sighed. She didn't have anything against her tutor, not really. But Inoue could be rather irritating, what with all the energy she always seemed to have…

"Ready to get to work?" Inoue asked, and Rukia heard a bag drop onto the floor.

The work was boring, as always. Rukia only half-listened, unable to stop herself from trying, every now and then, to compare it to what she thought regular school would be like.

"Kuchiki-san?"

Apparently her lack of attention didn't go unnoticed. "Are you listening at all?" Inoue demanded, though her voice wasn't angry.

"I am." Rukia lied weakly. Inoue could tell when she wasn't paying attention, though how Rukia couldn't even _begin _to guess. Something about indicators and all that.

"Where's your mind today?" Inoue's tone was genuinely curious. Rukia shrugged, playing aimlessly with the hem of her shirt.

"Did you ever teach in a real school?" She asked after a minute. Inoue didn't answer for awhile.

"I did." The woman said finally. "I taught fifth grade up until about five years ago."

"Why did you stop?"

Inoue's answering tone made Rukia imagine that she was shrugging. "The classes were too big — almost thirty kids in one class, that's a lot. I like smaller thing, more compact. That's why I joined the home-schooling program. I had to go back to school to learn how to teach kids like you, it was like a whole new adventure. I loved every second of it." Rukia resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Why do you ask?"

"Just…curious." Again, the lie fell flat. Inoue waited, and finally Rukia gave in. "I have this…friend. He—"

"_He_?" Inoue interrupted, her voice imploring. Rukia groaned.

"_Just_ a friend." She said, a little more harshly then she meant to. "Anyways he…goes to a regular school, obviously, and I was just…curious…about what that's like."

"High school?" Rukia nodded. "Probably goes to Karakura High…I went there. Nice school."

"What's it like?"

Inoue took a minute to answer. When she did, her voice was amused. "It wasn't all that bad, I…"

_**12:30 p.m.**_

"So then she and I went back to her place and — _hey_,_ are you listening to me_?"

"No." Ichigo said simply, munching on his sandwich. Keigo groaned and instantly began whining. Ichigo didn't see what the big deal was — Mizuiro _obviously_ wasn't listening either. Why couldn't Keigo complain about _that_?

"You've been really distant lately." Mizuiro commented idly, completely ignoring Keigo. "Something going on?"

"Nothing much." Ichigo said, hoping Mizuiro would drop it before—

"You have a secret!"

Before Keigo heard them talking. "I don't believe it!" Keigo yelled at the top of his lungs. Ichigo saw a few people giving them looks. "My best friend is keeping secrets from me!" In the time it took to blink, Keigo was next to Ichigo; they were practically nose to nose. "Come on, spill! What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing." Ichigo said, shoving Keigo as hard as he could. The boy fell back, landing hard on the grass. This didn't detour him, of course.

"_Come on_, tell me what's going on!" Keigo said as he bounced back onto his knees, giving Ichigo a defiant glare. "What don't you want to tell — I know! You have a girlfriend!"

To which Ichigo responded by punching Keigo in the face. "Would you _shut up_ already?" The orange-haired boy growled. "I don't have any secrets and I _don't_ have a girlfriend. Just shut your mouth."

Mizuiro sighed as he handed Keigo a napkin to clean up his bloody nose with. "You should have just shut up Asano-san." He said wisely.

"Don't call me Asano-san!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes and went back to his sandwich. Keigo could be such a pain sometimes.

_Wonder what Rukia's up to right now_, he wondered absently, pleased that he was able to keep a small smile from twitching his lips (something Keigo would have jumped on in half a moment). He knew she had a tutor that came three days a week, and assumed that was who she was with now. That must have been annoying for her, he mused. To have to be stuck on a schedule when she clearly just wanted to be free…

_**12:45 p.m.**_

"It always amazes me to watch you." Inoue said admiringly as Rukia shuffled around the kitchen.

"It'd probably be even more amazing if I could actually _find_ anything." Rukia grumbled. "I wish Nee-san and Nii-sama would stop moving everything, that would make life a lot easier."

Inoue laughed lightly. "You seem to get by just fine though. Sure you don't want help?"

"Positive." Rukia said simply as she stopped at the stove to stir the ramen noodles. She wasn't exactly a gourmet chef; noodles were one of the only things she could make without ruining. Hisana was always saying it was because she didn't pay any attention to time. Rukia didn't listen.

"So your friend…" Inoue ventured. Rukia sighed inwardly. Of course. "What's he like?"

"Well…he's a person." Rukia said sarcastically. She heard Inoue huff, obviously a little annoyed by this answer. "I don't know how to describe it. He didn't run away when he found out I had XP. Does that tell you anything?"

Inoue didn't answer for awhile. "It tells me a lot." She said finally. That answer didn't tell _Rukia_ anything, so she just fell silent, letting her mind wander away with her.

It still amazed her to no end that there was someone in this world that could accept her — _all _of her — without having a reason. Byakuya and Hisana accepted her because she was their sister, Inoue because, well…it was her job to work with Rukia, she didn't have much of a choice. But Ichigo had all the choice in the world. He could have walked away. He could have said she was too weird for him, and he couldn't deal with her. But he still came to the park _every single night_ and sat there with her for hours, talking and listening and just _being_ there…with her…

He was probably the best thing Rukia'd had in her life in a long, _long_ time. So then why did she feel like it was going to come crashing down around her ears at any second?

"Um…Kuchiki-san?" Inoue's voice brought Rukia back to reality. "The noodles…"

A sizzling noise accompanied Inoue's words. "_Shoot_!" Rukia groaned as she jumped, quickly turning off the stove. She heard footsteps as Inoue walked up behind her.

"Don't worry, I think they're still salvageable." The woman observed. "Where'd you go just now?"

"Nowhere." Rukia muttered, ducking her head so Inoue wouldn't see her blush.

_**5:53 p.m.**_

"I'm home!" Ichigo called as he walked through the front door. He slipped his shoes off, waiting…

"_Hellooooo Ichigooooooooooo_!" And he ducked as his father came flying at him. Isshin, in turn, crashed into the wall.

"Sick, twisted idiot." Ichigo muttered as he straightened up, shoving his hands into his pockets and heading to his room.

"Ichigo!" Isshin bounced back at once, of course, jogging quickly after his son. "Yuzu wants to know when you're going to invite your pretty friend to dinner."

"How does never sound?" Ichigo asked sarcastically.

"Aaaww, come on, we want to meet her!" Isshin whined, and Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"I would never subject her to the torture of having to come _here_." He said firmly. "Call me when dinner's ready."

And with that he slammed the door in his father's face before going and flopping down on his bed. He very much wished it was after eight so he could just go to the park. He didn't _want_ to be in his house right now. He wanted to be with Rukia.

_**6:02 p.m.**_

"So when are you going to invite him over?"

Rukia almost choked on her water. "_Him_?" Byakuya repeated, slightly indignant. "Him who?"

Rukia glared at her sister before muttering, "Just a friend."

"A friend." Byakuya's voice was doubtful now. "And pray-tell, _where_ did you meet this _friend_?"

"At the park." Rukia replied shortly.

"They sit and talk together almost every night." Hisana gushed, sounding pleased. Rukia rolled her eyes. "I think it's adorable, and I've been trying to get her to invite him over so we can meet him—"

"And when did this start?" Byakuya cut Hisana off.

"A few weeks ago." Rukia muttered; some awe slipped into her voice. It had only been three short weeks since she'd met Ichigo.

It might as well have been a life-time.

"So when are you going to invite him over?" Hisana asked again. Rukia decided the best course of action would be to ignore her, and went back to her meal without a word.

_**8:32 p.m.**_

It was with an air of relief that Ichigo slipped out of his house at last, breaking into a jog as soon as he stepped foot on the sidewalk. The cool night air whipped by his face as he ran, feeling more free then he could ever remember feeling before. Just a few more minutes and he would be at the park. Just a few more minutes and he would see Rukia.

The thought gave him enough energy to run the rest of the way.

"How do you _always_ beat me here?" He asked, smiling, as he approached the swings. Rukia looked around to the sound of his voice.

"I'm out of the house as soon as the sun sets, who are you kidding?" She grinned. Ichigo chuckled as he sat down. "So how was your day?"

"All right." Ichigo shrugged, though he knew she couldn't see him. "Yours?"

"Nothing special."

* * *

**Author's Note: **So I swear, there _was_ a point to this chapter. Go back and look closer. Notice that the time jumps get larger, while the actual parts with Ichigo and Rukia thinking get smaller. Why is that? Well…give me guesses, and I'll tell you next chapter. Kayz? Cuz I really, honest to God swear, there _was_ a point to all this. So…review! Please? — Sam


	9. Of Interfering & Good Times

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

* * *

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_It was with an air of relief that Ichigo slipped out of his house at last, breaking into a jog as soon as he stepped foot on the sidewalk. The cool night air whipped by his face as he ran, feeling more free then he could ever remember feeling before. Just a few more minutes and he would be at the park. Just a few more minutes and he would see Rukia._

_The thought gave him enough energy to run the rest of the way._

_"How do you always beat me here?" He asked, smiling, as he approached the swings. Rukia looked around to the sound of his voice._

_"I'm out of the house as soon as the sun sets, who are you kidding?" She grinned. Ichigo chuckled as he sat down. "So how was your day?"_

_"All right." Ichigo shrugged, though he knew she couldn't see him. "Yours?"_

_"Nothing special."_

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day — IX**_

—_**:—Wednesday, April 2**__**nd**__**, 2008 – 4:32 p.m. —:—**_

Rukia stared blankly at her sister — or at least, in the direction of her sister's voice. "You. Did. _What_?" She asked slowly, wishing as hard as she could that she had somehow miraculously misheard what Hisana had just said.

No such luck. "I _know_ you heard me, but I'll repeat myself anyway. I called your friend's father, we had a few words, and decided that _you're_ going to his house tomorrow night for supper, and he's coming here Friday."

Rukia closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths and counting backwards silently from ten. _Ten, nine, eight_… "_How_ did you know who to call? I never told you his last name!"

"You told me his first name." Hisana said teasingly. "Ichigo. That was enough. I've only ever heard of one Ichigo in my entire life — Kurosaki Ichigo. Tell me I'm wrong." _Negative five, negative six, negative seven_… "Thought so." Hisana triumphantly interpreted Rukia's silence. "I haven't spoken to Kurosaki Isshin since Mom and Dad died, I forgot what a pleasant person he was—"

"Wait a minute." Rukia interrupted both Hisana and her own, silent counting at negative thirteen. "You know Ichigo's family?"

"Ahuh." Hisana sounded amused now. "His parents were really good friends with ours. Ichigo's your age, of course, so he never hung around me or Nii-sama much, and you weren't exactly a typical playmate, so it's no surprise you don't really know any of this." Rukia scowled. "You're so cute when you pout." Hisana teased, poking Rukia's arm. "Anyways I'm sure you'll be seeing Kurosaki-kun tonight, so the two of you can do all the complaining you want then."

Rukia quickly resumed her counting. _Negative fourteen, negative fifteen, negative sixteen, negative eighteen_…

_**5:03 p.m.**_

"You. Did. _What_?!"

Isshin's irritating grin didn't fade as Ichigo's voice raised quickly to a shout. The older man didn't even flinch. "Well Rukia-chan's sister seemed interested in meeting you, and I'd love to see Rukia-chan again, I haven't seen her since she was eight or nine…Hisana-chan was fairly adamant…I couldn't say no."

The end of Isshin's sentence was greeted by a fist to the face. "You _idiot_." Ichigo growled. "Why the _hell_ did you do that without _asking _me first?!"

"Because I knew you'd say no." Isshin said around his hand, which was pressed tightly to his bleeding nose. "Anyways if it makes you feel any better Hisana-chan didn't tell Rukia-chan either. She's probably freaking out as we speak."

"And with good reason!" Ichigo shouted. "Seriously…did you ever stop to think maybe there's a reason _why_ I don't want to invite her over?"

"Yeah, you're embarrassed by me." Isshin replied easily. "Not my problem though. You're going to her house tomorrow night, she's coming here Friday. Hisana-chan and I have it all worked out, we already agreed that we'd drag the two of you into a car and drive you over by force if we have to."

Ichigo scowled heavily. This wasn't happening. This _wasn't_ happening…

_**9:35 p.m.**_

"I don't _believe_ them!"

That was Ichigo's and Rukia's mutual way of greeting each other as Ichigo approached the swings where Rukia was already sitting.

"Infuriating!" Ichigo growled as he flung himself onto his regular swing. It flew back, and he almost tumbled off again.

"How could they _do_ that to us?!" Rukia snapped, completely oblivious to Ichigo as he waved his arms wildly to catch himself and keep from falling off the swing.

"I was ready to sock my father in the mouth when he told me." Ichigo grumbled as he finally regained his balance. "Actually…I did."

"Lucky. I had to count down to negative fifty-three to keep from completely flipping out." Rukia sounded highly annoyed. "And they just make it sound like it's no big deal!"

"I know." Ichigo agreed. "_'Oh you know, we just interfered with your life a little, made plans that you probably don't want to be involved in, but we're going to make you keep them anyway.' _Who do they think they are?"

Rukia was too busy laughing at Ichigo's sarcastic imitation of his father and her sister to reply. Ichigo's scowl softened into a smile as he listened to her laugh. It was such a rare sound, he knew it was an honor to be able to hear it.

"So what do you think?" She asked finally, still giggling a little. "Should we just blow it off?"

"Nah." Ichigo sighed. "Last thing we need is your sister and my father getting buddy-buddy, then we'll _never_ get any peace. We do what they want this once and hopefully they never speak again and _we_ can go back to our peaceful lives."

"You make a good point." Rukia conceded, though she sounded aggravated. "I just don't _believe_…why can't they just _mind_ their own business?"

"I guess the idea of us having some form of a life is too much for them to comprehend." Ichigo snorted. Rukia rolled her eyes.

"Life, huh? Do _you_ call this life?" She waved a hand around the area. "Sitting in the dark every night talking to a freak?"

Something stirred in the back of Ichigo's mind. "Okay, a, you're not a freak." He said firmly. Rukia rocked back and forth on the swing, her eyes on the ground. "B, this is more of a life then I had a month ago. C…just be quiet. Don't insult yourself."

_Now_ a smile pulled at Rukia's lips. "So we're going to do this asinine dinner thing, then?" She asked, not so subtly changing the subject.

"Guess so, yeah." Ichigo sighed heavily. "My house tomorrow night. I'll pick you up after the sun sets?"

To his surprise, Rukia lapsed into another giggle fit. "_What_?" He demanded, confused.

"_After the sun sets_…makes me sound like a vampire." She continued to laugh lightly, and after a minute Ichigo smiled as well.

"Just answer the damn question." He said, but his voice was kind enough that Rukia didn't take him seriously.

"Unless you want to come over _before_ it sets and spend time with my sister—"

"After the sun sets it is." Ichigo interrupted quickly. Rukia smiled. If this entire thing hadn't been orchestrated by irritating family members….she might have actually been looking forward to it.

—_**:—Thursday, April 3**__**rd**__**, 2008 – 6:43 p.m. —:—**_

_Knock-Knock_

Ichigo had exactly two seconds to rock back and forth on his heels before the door flung open, revealing what seemed to be an older version of Rukia. Kuchiki Hisana, he assumed. She was grinning widely, her violet eyes (so similar to Rukia's) were shining with a light that Ichigo had never seen in Rukia's.

"Kurosaki-kun, I assume?" She asked. Without waiting for an answer she grabbed Ichigo by the arm of his shirt and dragging him inside. "Ru-_chan_!" She sang happily as she shut the door. "Your _date_ is here!"

"One more word Nee-san…" Rukia called back threateningly. "And _don't_ _call me_ _Ru-chan_!"

Hisana laughed, looking back at Ichigo. "Sorry, I'm not usually this crazy. I'm Kuchiki Hisana." She held her hand out to Ichigo, who sighed silently as he took it.

"Kurosaki Ichigo. Nice to meet you." Hisana cocked her head, looking up at Ichigo in wonder.

"Last time I saw you, you were eight." She sighed. "You were shorter then me then too. I liked that. I'm the shortest in the family, after Rukia. Not good for the ego, you know?"

Ichigo had trouble following the flow of words. He stared hard at Hisana, trying to remember what she was talking about — but he had absolutely no memory of ever meeting her before. "Don't remember?" Hisana guessed. "That's okay, you were young, and you were more interested in taking care of your sisters then meeting the new people." Ichigo decided to just nod in agreement. "So what do you—"

"Leave me him _alone_ Nee-san." Rukia interrupted irritably as she made her way back downstairs. "For God's sake he doesn't want to listen to your _incessant _babbling."

"You're _mean_ to me." Hisana complained, sounding thoroughly annoyed now. "Why do I put up with you again?"

"I don't know, something about sisterly love."

Ichigo barely noticed the exchange. He was too busy taking in Rukia's appearance. She was wearing a silk-like, pale pink dress that hugged tightly to her upper body, but flowed at the bottom, and her usually stubborn strand of raven hair was clipped back by a flower hair clip.

Then Ichigo saw Hisana looking at him with a very knowing look, and he very quickly looked away from Rukia. "So uh….ready to go?"

"As ready as I am when I go to the dentist." Rukia muttered sarcastically. Ichigo smiled faintly as he turned to the door. The last remnants of the sun had already disappeared into darkness, making the outside world safe for Rukia, who smiled widely as she stepped into the night air.

"See you later Nee-san." She said over her shoulder, barely sparing her sister a second thought.

"It was nice to meet you." He added as he hurried after Rukia.

"Have a good time!" Hisana was still grinning as she closed the door.

Once they were safe from Hisana's prying eyes, Ichigo felt it was okay to reach over and take Rukia's small hand in his own, guiding her in the right direction. Rukia didn't fight back, instead letting Ichigo take the lead — and her hand.

Ichigo never saw Hisana watching them from the front window.

_**6:55 p.m.**_

"Prepare yourself." Ichigo muttered as he opened the front door.

"For what—?" Rukia started to ask, but was cut off by a loud yell.

"_Hellooooo Ichigooooooooooo_!"

Ichigo flung both his arms out, grabbing Isshin's outstretched leg and giving himself leverage to spin Isshin around and fling him into the wall with a loud _crash_.

"You _idiot_!" Ichigo snapped at the annoying man. "What the _hell_ are you doing, did you even _think_—!"

"Um…" Rukia spoke up suddenly. She was still standing in the door behind Ichigo. "What's going on?"

"My father's a moron." Ichigo growled, glaring at Isshin, who was still crumpled against the wall opposite them. Upon hearing his son's and Rukia's voices, however, Isshin jumped up once more, grinning.

"Rukia-chan!" He cheered. Rukia raised an eyebrow as she stepped around Ichigo, standing to his right and putting herself closer to Isshin's voice. "Sorry if I frightened you, I was just making sure my son's staying on his toes—" Ichigo growled something unintelligible. Isshin ignored him. "Anyways, the name's Kurosaki Isshin. Nice to meet you."

"Um…you too." Rukia said hesitantly, holding out her hand. Isshin shook it eagerly. Before Ichigo could tell Isshin to buzz off, Yuzu came zooming out of the kitchen, with Karin right behind her.

"Are you two done with all the yelling and banging around?" She asked, giving Ichigo and Isshin a disapproving look. Before Ichigo could say anything, she turned to Rukia, quickly giving way to a grin. "Hi!" She chirped happily. "I'm Yuzu."

"I'm Karin." Ichigo's raven-haired sister added quietly. Rukia hesitated for only half a second before smiling as well.

"It's nice to meet you both…"

Ichigo watched, with some satisfaction, as Yuzu easily lapsed into a conversation with Rukia. Karin, he noticed, stayed back a little, as if unsure of what to say. That was to be expected, Ichigo supposed. Both girls knew about Rukia and the XP, and, as Rukia had said many times before, it was something most people didn't understand. But Yuzu, at least, wasn't letting it bother her.

"And you were worried we would embarrass you." Isshin spoke up, still grinning. Ichigo ignored the man, his eyes completely focused on Rukia's smiling face.

It took a good ten minutes for the overly-friendly Yuzu to retreat back into the kitchen and see how supper was coming along. "Come on." Ichigo said as he took Rukia's hand again, pointedly ignoring the smug look his father was giving him, "Let's go up to my room."

He figured that was the one place they could get some semblance of privacy. "Your family seems nice." Rukia commented idly as they made their way upstairs. Ichigo shrugged.

"Sorry they're so…enthusiastic." He wanted to say they weren't normally like this, except…they were. Rukia just smiled and shook her head.

"Not at all. It's nice, actually — I don't think I've ever been around that level of excitement." Ichigo thought briefly of how energetic Hisana had been in the two minutes he'd been with her, and highly doubted Rukia's statement. He decided not to say anything, though.

"Here we are." He said instead as he opened the door to his room and led Rukia inside. "It's not much." He said as Rukia walked carefully to the middle of the floor and stood there, her sightless eyes seeming to take everything in. "Desk in the corner, bed by the window…normal room stuff."

"No posters?" Rukia asked, surprised.

"No posters." And even though he'd never thought about it until now, Ichigo was struck by how…_impersonal_ his room seemed. As if he didn't really live there.

Rukia was already moving on; she went over to the end of the bed, one hand out in front of her, the other down near her waist as she felt for obstacles. Ichigo knew better then to offer her help — that would only get him slapped over the head. So instead he just watched, amazed, as always, by how easy it seemed for her to get around, even without being able to see. He was so enthralled in watching her, he didn't notice when one of her hands came to a rest on one of his most prized possessions.

"A guitar?"

Her voice snapped Ichigo back to reality. He blinked and saw that she had indeed found his old guitar. "You can tell just by touching it?" He asked, a little surprised. Rukia smiled and shrugged.

"Nee-san used to play. Not well, mind you, but she played. She tried to teach me but I never had the attention span for it." Ichigo laughed shortly. "So do you play?"

"I took lessons." He admitted. "I got into it when I was nine — don't I've touched it since I was eleven or twelve, though." He hesitated before adding, "my mother bought it for me. For my birthday. She knew I was interested, so…"

His voice trailed off. He decided not to add that he'd wanted to learn to play so he could write a song for his mother, and that after she had died he'd only continued with it because it was what she would have wanted, but after awhile even that wasn't enough, and he'd just quit. No doubt Rukia, with her crazy insightful, had already guessed a lot of that anyways.

"Play something."

The words that were a request more then a demand caught Ichigo off guard. "I…what?" He asked stupidly, and Rukia laughed.

"Nee-san said it's like riding a bike — even if you haven't played in awhile I bet you still remember how." She paused for a minute before adding, "please?"

And Ichigo just _couldn't_ say no. "All right." He surrendered. "Sit down." Rukia instantly found the edge of the bed and did as she was told. Ichigo picked up the guitar and sat next to her. To his surprise it didn't feel at all odd to hold the instrument, even after so long. It seemed to greet him like an old friend, ready to play.

The gentle notes floated through the house, giving not only Rukia, but every other occupant, quite a treat.

"Unbelievable." Isshin murmured. He'd been sitting in his office, going over some patient files, when the music began. He knew that his son hadn't picked up that guitar in years. But now here he was, playing once more — and surprisingly well. Isshin suspected Rukia's hand in this. And he was glad. For the first time in a long time…Ichigo seemed happy.

Rukia closed her eyes as Ichigo played, a soft smile pulling at her lips. Amazing. Ichigo was really amazing. It seemed such a shame that he'd given up, that this obvious talent had gone to waste…

Above everything else, though, Rukia felt incredibly privileged. This was just one more side of Ichigo that he never showed the world. And yet _she_ was seeing it — so to speak.

"_Wow_." She breathed as the song came to a close. It was all she could think to say.

"Heh." Ichigo chuckled weakly, and Rukia imagined, with that tone, that he was rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. "Like I said, I haven't played in awhile…that was pretty bad, wasn't it?"

"No!" Rukia protested at once, her eyes snapping open. "Anything but, I thought it was great!"

"Yeah?" Ichigo sounded surprised. Rukia nodded her head vigorously.

"Definitely, you—"

But before Rukia could get any further, Yuzu called, "Dinner!" effectively bringing the conversation to an end.

Isshin supported most of the conversation throughout the first part of the meal, though he never _really_ talked about anything. _Stupid old goat, just likes the sound of his own voice_, Ichigo seethed silently as Isshin babbled on. At least, Ichigo reflected gratefully, Rukia didn't seem annoyed. Her smile never left her face.

"So Rukia-chan," Yuzu turned to the raven-haired girl, having finally given up on the idea of Isshin shutting up. "Do you really _never_ go out into the sun?"

Ichigo flinched, shooting his sister a glare. What was she doing, asking a question like that? "Nope." Rukia answered the question easily, setting down her spoon. "I have to wait until after the sun sets."

Yuzu cocked her head curiously. "So how do you go to school?"

Rukia laughed lightly. "I have a tutor who comes to the house a couple days a week." Ichigo gave the girl a disbelieving look. She hadn't mentioned, when he'd spent the entire day at her house, that there was a chance they would be caught. Typical.

Yuzu just nodded, already moving on to her next question. "Have you really been blind your _whole_ life?"

Thankfully, Rukia didn't appear to be easily offended. "Yup. Ever since I was a baby."

"Wow." It was Karin who answered this time, much to Ichigo's surprise. "I can't imagine that."

Rukia smiled as she turned to Karin instead. "You get used to it." She assured the younger girl. Karin seemed slightly encouraged now, and began asking her own questions as well. Ichigo smiled despite himself, deciding that this could have been a _lot_ worse.

_**11:52 p.m.**_

"Are you sure you're not going to get into trouble?" Ichigo asked, worried, as he and Rukia turned down the street, heading towards Rukia's house. Their intertwined hands occupied the air between them.

"Are you kidding me? They're lucky if I come back before one most nights. Midnight is actually early for me." Rukia laughed, and Ichigo closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the sound, before a small wave a guilt washed over him with another realization.

"I'm sorry we ended up staying for so long." He felt bad now. The night was the only time Rukia ever got outside, and he'd kept her trapped at his house for the entire night. Rukia, however, shook her head.

"This was the best night I've had in a long time." She informed him as they walked up her driveway, stopping on the front step. She seemed to hesitate before she spoke again. "Thank you."

Ichigo blinked, surprised. "For what?"

Rukia shrugged. "Just…thank you." Before Ichigo protest, and demand a reason, she moved on, saying, "I'll see you tomorrow night?"

"I'll be here." Ichigo assured her. Rukia's responding smile was almost sympathetic. She started to open the door, then stopped and looked over her shoulder.

"If you own a suit of armor," she said seriously, "I'd consider wearing it."

That sounded slightly ominous. "Why?" Ichigo demanded, but Rukia had already disappeared inside, closing the door behind her.

_Now_ Ichigo was nervous.

—_**:—Friday, April 4**__**th**__**, 2008 – 6:35 p.m. —:—**_

_Knock-Knock_

Déjà vu, Ichigo reflected idly as he rocked back on his heels, waiting for the door to open. It didn't swing open immediately, as he had the day before, when Hisana had answered, but the wait was worth it, as when it finally _did_ open (about thirty seconds later) it was Rukia who greeted him.

"Hey Ichigo." She said with a smile. Ichigo decided to tease her a little.

"How do you know it's me?" He asked kiddingly as Rukia stepped aside, letting him.

"You're the only person who visits that bothers to knock. Everyone else just barges in." Ichigo chuckled, taking a moment to inhale deeply, absorbing the wonderful scent that drifted through the house. "Nee-san is a great cook." It seemed to pain Rukia to admit that. "Though Yuzu-chan might give her a run for her money."

"Maybe we should get them together some time to find out." Ichigo suggested as he slipped off his shoes.

"You want to put two of _our_ family members together?" Ichigo saw the problem in this immediately.

"Point taken." Rukia laughed, leading him to the kitchen. Hisana was standing at the stove; she looked around at the sound of the footsteps, smiling when she saw Ichigo and her sister.

"Well, well, Kurosaki-kun." She sounded impressed. "You didn't chicken out?"

"I wasn't stupid enough to tell him what to expect." Rukia cut in before Ichigo could answer. Hisana laughed, and Ichigo suddenly felt as if there was some grand plan that he had been left out of.

"That's not fair, Rukia. Shouldn't you have at least warned him?"

"I told him to bring a suit of armor. Not my fault he didn't listen." Before Ichigo could say anything, Rukia took his hand. "I'm going to show him my room, call us when dinner is ready."

"Well I'm not about to leave you up there to starve." Hisana teased as Rukia pulled Ichigo from the kitchen.

"What was that all about?" He demanded as they started up the stairs. Rukia laughed lightly.

"My brother…we didn't tell him you were coming over. He actually didn't even know you _existed_ until a little while ago, Nee-san was harassing me about inviting you over and she said something right in front of him…anyways he's not exactly the most…_friendly _person in the world…there's a very good chance he won't like you. Try not to take it to heart."

"Well gee, I'll try." Ichigo responded sarcastically. Rukia smiled as they came onto the second landing and she opened the first door they came to, leading him into the room. Ichigo froze in the door. The wall that greeted him as he walked in was completely occupied by shelves of music that reached all the way up to the ceiling. "Let me guess — you like music."

"Is it that obvious?" Rukia asked, feigning concern. Ichigo looked around and saw a stereo next to the window. Rukia seemed to read his mind and crossed the room, turning on the stereo with no problem and pressing play. Ichigo came up behind her as the music started playing, and saw that all the buttons were labeled with Braille. He looked around the room and saw a bookshelf tucked away in a corner. One of the shelves was completely empty, though the other four were stocked to the point that books were falling off. A third sweep of the room revealed that most of the books that should have been on the empty shelf were on the messy floor.

The sound of a car pulling into the driveway interrupted Ichigo's inspection of the room, and Rukia groaned. "Nii-sama…" She murmured. "If Nee-san messes this up you'd better be prepared to jump out a window."

As if Ichigo wasn't ready to do that _now_. He suddenly wasn't looking forward to meeting Kuchiki Byakuya. At all.

He decided to try and distract himself. And the only way he could think to do that was to poke fun at Rukia. "How the heck do you get around in here?" He demanded, his eyes drifting over the floor, which was littered with books and papers and clothes and other, random things. "It's a mess!"

"It's _my_ mess." Rukia corrected smoothly. "It's not difficult to move around if I'm moving around something that _I_ caused."

"That doesn't make any sense." Ichigo argued.

"It does to me." Rukia shot back with a cocky smile. Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Supper's ready!" Hisana called upstairs. Rukia groaned.

"What's wrong?"

"She's nervous." Rukia shook her head slowly. "Nii-sama isn't happy about this, then. No surprise."

"You could tell from two words that she's nervous?" Ichigo asked as they left the room, starting down the stairs.

"I'm pretty good at reading voices." A note of nervousness rang in Rukia's voice now as well. And Ichigo was seized by the sudden urge to run back upstairs and jump out the window.

But it was too late for that.

Kuchiki Byakuya was standing by the counter, watching Hisana pull some dishes out of the cabinet. The man's eyes instantly flew to Ichigo, who froze in the kitchen door. Byakuya's eyes were the same color as Hisana's and Rukia's, though unlike his sisters there was no light, no warmth. It was like looking into a never-ending tunnel.

"Hey Rukia," Hisana's forced-casual voice broke through the moment, "make yourself useful and set the table."

Rukia stuck her tongue out at her sister, but crossed the kitchen anyways, taking the bowls from Hisana. "I'll help." Ichigo said quickly, crossing the kitchen in two strides, intent on taking the bowls from Rukia.

"So you're Kurosaki Ichigo."

The cold voice, devoid of any infliction, stopped Ichigo in his tracks. He turned slowly to face Byakuya; it took him a minute to find his voice. "Yes sir." He muttered at last, holding a hand out. Byakuya took his hand for all of two seconds; in that time Ichigo was quite sure his fingers were going to break. _Ow_, he said silently as he pulled his hand back, flexing his fingers. "It's nice to meet you."

Apparently Byakuya did not feel the same (which was okay, because Ichigo didn't really feel that way either). He looked over at Hisana, who was giving him a look that clearly said, _behave_. While he was distracted, Ichigo turned quickly to Rukia, taking the bowls from her. Rukia gave him a very sympathetic look as she opened a drawer and started gathering the silverware. Ichigo caught Byakuya glaring at him, and realized he would be lucky to leave this house alive.

The first few minutes of dinner were awkward, until Hisana finally took it upon herself to get a conversation going. She asked Ichigo about school, asked if he liked Karakura High, what he planned on doing once he graduated…

Ichigo just tried to focus on answering. He could tell that both Hisana and Rukia were nervous, and Byakuya kept shooting him completely unreadable looks. All of this made for one very hesitant Ichigo. But he managed to respond to all of Hisana's questions —except for the one about his plans after high school. He decided for that one the best route was to be honest and admit he didn't really know what he wanted to do.

"You should already be thinking about it." Byakuya spoke at last, and though his voice was as emotionless as ever, Ichigo heard just a hint of triumph. He was _looking_ for reasons not to like Ichigo.

Apparently Rukia heard what Ichigo had heard, because she came to his defense at once, though she forced her voice to be light and teasing. "Not everyone can be like you, Nii-sama. We didn't _all_ want to know we wanted to be lawyers when we were _five_."

"Tell him Rukia." Hisana chuckled. The look Byakuya gave both sisters was almost deadly, and Ichigo felt himself relaxing just a little. Byakuya _obviously_ didn't like him. He could deal with that, as long as the older man didn't try to hurt him or anything. Actually, Ichigo would have been all right if even _Hisana_ didn't like him. They didn't really matter, in the long run.

Rukia was the only one that mattered to him.

_**10:45 p.m.**_

"It could have been worse." Rukia sighed. They were standing on the front steps; Ichigo was preparing to leave. Rukia had followed him so they could say goodbye in peace.

"The way you made it sound your brother was going to kill me." Ichigo reminded her. "The fact that I'm walking away with all my limbs intact is obviously an accomplishment."

Rukia laughed quietly. "He can be a little…_extreme_ sometimes. Hopefully Hisana can get him to lighten up…but even if she doesn't, there isn't much he can do about it. He can stop me from going to the park…and he certainly can't stop _you_."

Ichigo smiled. "So…you're not going to let it bother you that he doesn't like me?"

He'd actually worried about that, briefly, though it had become very apparent that her siblings' opinions didn't matter to Rukia. Still…

"Of course not. I love him dearly, and Nee-san too, but…it's my life. I'll live it the way I want."

Ichigo's heart soared, and he did something that was very out of character for him; he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Rukia, pulling her into a tight hug.

_Hmn, _this_ is out of character?_ An annoying voice in the back of his mind spoke up. _This you find strange, and yet you think it's completely normal for you to go to the park _every night_ to see her, and to hold her hand when you're walking together…_

Ichigo ignored the voice. Rukia hesitated for only a moment before returning the hug, and Ichigo noted dimly how perfectly she seemed to fit in his arms.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then?" She asked, sounding slightly shaken, as they pulled away from each other.

"Nowhere else I'd rather be." He promised. He raised a hand up, brushing it lightly over her cheek, then turned and started down the stairs. He stopped for half a moment to look over his shoulder at Rukia, who was staring after him. And his face split into a grin. "See you tomorrow."

And with that, he turned and ran down the driveway, suppressing the very childish urge to yell and jump in the air.

* * *

**Author's Note: **So…this chapter got _slightly_ out of control. I was going to split it into two parts, then I decided _what the hell_ and threw it up as is XD Anyways, about chapter 8…remember how I said the time intervals got longer and longer not because I was lazy, but because there was a legitimate reason? Well I wasn't lying. There actually _is_ a reason. The reason is that as the day digressed, both Ichigo and Rukia cared less and less about what was going on around them, and just wanted it to be nighttime so they could go and meet. I'm pretty sure one person touched pretty close to that, if they didn't get it completely, but I'm too lazy to go and look. Sorry :-P Anyways, I know we've all loved the last few chapters of fluff-likeness and how it's all been quiet…but who's ready for some emotional turmoil? **/raises hand eagerly/** — Lol. Review please? — Sam


	10. Safety of a Hope Destroyed

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

* * *

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_Ichigo's heart soared, and he did something that was very out of character for him; he stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Rukia, pulling her into a tight hug._

_Hmn, this is out of character? An annoying voice in the back of his mind spoke up. _This you find strange, and yet you think it's completely normal for you to go to the park_ every night _to see her, and to hold her hand when you're walking together…

_Ichigo ignored the voice. Rukia hesitated for only a moment before returning the hug, and Ichigo noted dimly how perfectly she seemed to fit in his arms._

_"I'll see you tomorrow, then?" She asked, sounding slightly shaken, as they pulled away from each other._

_"Nowhere else I'd rather be." He promised. He raised a hand up, brushing it lightly over her cheek, then turned and started down the stairs. He stopped for half a moment to look over his shoulder at Rukia, who was staring after him. And his face split into a grin. "See you tomorrow."_

_And with that, he turned and ran down the driveway, suppressing the very childish urge to yell and jump in the air._

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day — X**_

—_**:—Monday, April 14**__**th**__**, 2008 – 6:28 p.m. —:—**_

Rukia poked her rice uninterestedly. She wasn't hungry. She just wanted to get out to the park. She and Ichigo had decided they'd go back to the river tonight, do something different, for once. The family dinner nights had sparked something in both of them — while it was still fun to sit at the park and talk and swing, but…

"Something wrong with your food, Rukia?" Hisana asked, sounding curious. Rukia shrugged.

"I'm not that hungry." Rukia muttered. She felt a small hand press itself to her forehead.

"Are you sick?" Hisana teased. Rukia slapped her sister's hand away, her lips pursed.

"Very funny. I'm just not hungry, is that a problem?"

"Touchy, touchy." Rukia imagined Hisana was pouting now. "Come on Ru-chan, really, what's wrong?"

"Well the fact that you keep calling me 'Ru-chan' for one." Rukia grumbled. "Why did you revive that stupid name again?"

"Because _now_ you seem so much happier, I thought you'd let me get away with it." Rukia rolled her eyes, but didn't answer, instead trying to focus on her food. "So come on Rukia, what's bothering you, really?"

Rukia sighed, resuming the poking of her food. "It's…Nii-sama." She said finally, glad that Byakuya was working late again. She saw no point in hiding it, really, and anyways maybe Hisana could help. She was good at making Byakuya change his mind about things…sometimes. "He didn't like Ichigo." It wasn't a question.

"Since when do you need mine or Byakuya's approval for something?" Hisana asked, sounding surprised. Rukia snorted.

"Approval. Right. No, it's not that, it's just…what if he decides he doesn't want me to go to the park anymore—" _to see Ichigo_, Rukia added silently, though she would never say it out-loud, "he could stop me if he was home, and you…you'd help him. You'd do anything he wanted you to do."

"I'd help _if I agreed_." Hisana corrected gently. "Look, I know Byakuya, for whatever reason, has a problem with Ichigo. But that's between the two of them. Byakuya can't stop you from going to the park at night, no matter what he does. Even if he forbids it, would you really listen to him?" Hisana went on without waiting for Rukia to answer. "Of course you wouldn't. That's not who you are, you never listen to Byakuya or me. You do things your way. No matter what anyone else tells you. So what are you so worried about?"

Rukia bit her lip. She didn't want to admit that she'd really wanted both her siblings to like Ichigo. In a short amount of time, he'd become an important part of her life. Was it so bad that she wanted her family — who was equally important to her — to approve of him?

_Approve_. Rukia scoffed silently at the word. _Stop making it sound like he's your boyfriend or something. You're being pathetic_.

Still…he _was_ her friend. Even if that was all he was. Having Byakuya not like him could definitely make things…complicated.

_**7:45 p.m.**_

"You're late." Rukia teased as Ichigo ran to the swings, huffing. He'd run the entire way.

"Sorry, got home late, ended up eating late." He decided it was in his best interest not to add that he'd gotten home late because he'd gotten into a _slight_ scuff with some local gang-bangers — apparently he resembled some guy who'd dropped their leader a few weeks back.

Whatever.

"So Yuzu keeps bugging me to invite you over again." Ichigo said as he sat down. "She doesn't seem to get that I didn't invite you over the _first_ time, but…yeah. She really liked you, you know." Rukia raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "What, you don't believe me? You're an easy person to like."

"Ha." Rukia snorted. Ichigo would have smiled, had be not been so…unsettled by the way Rukia seemed to look at herself.

"You have a very twisted view of yourself, you know."

"Look who's talking. Would you believe me if I told you _my_ sister likes you?" Ichigo didn't answer. "That's what I thought."

Ichigo's lips pulled into a smile, and, not for the first time, he was glad that Rukia couldn't see him. His view of himself had become a lot more positive since he'd met her. But he wasn't about to tell _her_ that.

"So what…"

_**8:15 p.m.**_

"Dad is rolling over in his _grave_!"

Kuchiki Hisana was normally a quiet, understanding person. Usually she was willing to take a minute, see both sides of the argument, consider the best option, consider a good counter-argument, and then present it calmly and rationally.

Tonight was _not_ one of those times.

"Dad and Saiichi-kun founded that company when they were just out of law school, they wanted to keep it in Karakura Town, keep it on a small-scale, help _people_, not big-time companies, which is all you're going to get in Tokyo by the way, and not to mention—"

"I can't stop them." Byakuya snapped, apparently losing his patience. He turned on his younger sister, his violet eyes blazing with more emotion than Hisana could ever remember seeing. "This is _there_ decision, Hisana, all I can do is go along with it—"

"You have an opinion, it's your company too!" Hisana shot back. "Byakuya our _lives_ are in this town, my school, Rukia's doctor…"

_And Kurosaki-kun_. Hisana wouldn't dare say that aloud though. If anything, the mention of that orange-haired boy would light a fire under Byakuya, make him want to get out of Karakura Town _faster_.

"This place is our _home_. You can't make us move."

Byakuya sighed, turning away from Hisana. "We're not moving until the summer." He said quietly. "That's plenty of time to fill out some applications and get a transfer. And the doctors in Tokyo are better than they are here, they'll—"

"They'll what?" Hisana demanded. "Know how to cure XP? Give it a break, Byakuya. You can't sugar coat wanting us to move. Rukia and I, we're _happy_ here. We're not moving."

"So now you speak for Rukia?" Byakuya asked.

"Of course not. But do _you_ think she's going to want to move, Byakuya? Do you think she wants to leave Karakura Town?"

"What is there to keep her here?"

Hisana closed her eyes. She had to say it. "Kurosaki-kun. You know as well as I do she's been happier in the month since she met him than she has been in the last _sixteen years_ of her life. And you want to take that away from her?"

Byakuya wasn't impressed by Hisana's argument. She hadn't expected it to. "He's a sixteen year old boy, Hisana. How long do you think that little friendship is going to last before he gets bored? Before the novelty of something new wears off, and he thinks the same of her as everyone else?"

"You don't know—"

"I know." Byakuya interrupted. "He's just like everyone else in this world. No one can accept what's different from them."

"Including you, Byakuya?" Hisana asked quietly. Byakuya didn't answer for a minute.

"She's my sister." He said finally. "Of course I accept her. But not everyone in this world is as accepting me, Hisana."

Hisana shook her head slowly. "You're right and wrong. She _is_ your sister. But you shouldn't _have_ to accept her — that's not how family works."

She turned to walk away, then stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Make this move not happening Byakuya. I don't know how, I don't _care_ how. But if you decide to go with that company, I promise, Rukia and I will _not_ be joining you."

"What are you going to do, then?" Byakuya asked. "You don't have the money to stay in the house by yourself."

"We'll figure something out. You can't make a decision like this without talking to us and expect us to just _go along_ with it. These are the kind of things you _discuss_ with us, Byakuya. We're family. We're all each other have."

"You're the one who's saying if I want to go with the company you and Rukia will be staying here. And yet _you're_ saying we're all each other have. You're contradicting yourself, Hisana."

Hisana bit her lip, running a hand through her hair. "Byakuya…"

She was out of arguments. This was what happened when she didn't take the time to think about an argument.

—_**:—Tuesday, April 15**__**th**__**, 2008 – 12:28 a.m. —:—**_

Rukia was smiling as she slipped into the house. Ichigo had stayed a lot later than usual; it'd been funny when he'd realized the time. Rukia couldn't remember when she'd last heard _quite_ so many profanities.

She never saw Hisana, who was standing in the corner of the kitchen. The woman watched her sister cross the kitchen, going right for the stairs. She was smiling contently, not a care in the world, from the looks of it.

_Unfair_, Hisana sighed, sliding down to the floor. She'd tried reopening the argument with Byakuya, but to no avail. Byakuya wouldn't be moved. Hisana had known that, of course. But it really…really wasn't fair.

_I'll tell her later_, Hisana promised silently, pushing herself up and rubbing her eyes. _Let her have her peace…for now_.

_**6:55 p.m.**_

Hisana wasn't quite sure how she made it through the entire day. All she could think about was how upset Rukia was going to be, how angry…and, possibly worst of all, heartbroken.

_Byakuya can't do this to us_, she thought firmly. But even she knew that was a lie.

"Nii-sama has been working late a lot." Rukia commented idly as she stood and put her plate in the sink. "What's he doing?"

_Working out details for moving, I suppose_, Hisana thought bitterly. "Rukia." The girl stopped at the back door and looked over her shoulder. "Can you…take a minute? I need to talk to you."

"I didn't do it." Rukia joked weakly as she sat down again.

"No, you didn't." Hisana agreed evenly, and her voice took on a bitter tone. "Byakuya did."

Rukia blinked, surprised. "Oh this is going to be good. What's going on, Nee-san?"

Hisana took a deep breath, preparing herself. She could only imagine how this was going to go. "Rukia, we…I mean, Byakuya…" She ran a hand through her hair, sighing. "The firm…the others want to…to move the firm…to Tokyo."

Rukia didn't answer for a long time. "So…what, Nii-sama's going to be out of a job?" She said finally. Hisana almost _wished_ that was the case.

"No…he's going with them. And…and so are we."

Another long, drawn out silence. "We're…leaving Karakura Town?" Rukia asked finally, her voice sounding strangled. Hisana closed her eyes, wishing she didn't have to say this.

"Yes."

In that moment, Hisana saw so much hurt, so much pain in Rukia's blind eyes, Hisana wished _she_ was blind too, so she wouldn't have to see that look. As it was, she looked away, unable to stand it.

"I won't." Rukia whispered, surprising Hisana, who looked up quickly. The pain had been wiped away, replaced by a look of cold steel.

"What—?"

"I won't go." Rukia snapped, pushing her chair away from the table, almost knocking it over as she stood up. "I'm not gong anywhere. I won't."

"Rukia…" Hisana sighed as she stood, reaching a hand out. "I know this is upsetting for you—"

"Leave me alone!" Rukia yanked her arm away from Hisana's touch. "You can't make me do anything I don't want to, and I don't want to go!"

With that, she turned on her heel, darting to the door. "Rukia!"

Too late. She was, with amazing accuracy, already out the back door, and darting across the yard, into the woods, and out of sight.

Hisana sighed as she dropped into her seat. Too late now. She'd have to wait until Rukia came back.

And then she found herself hoping her little sister _would_ come back.

_**7:30 p.m.**_

Ichigo was fully ready to give Rukia teasing hell about the fact that _she_ was late, after she'd teased _him_ about being late just the night before.

So when he heard the sound of hurried footsteps coming towards him from the woods, he grinned. Man she was in for it…

He twisted the chains of the swings so he could turn around and face her, opened his mouth, ready with a sarcastic comment…

His words froze in his mouth when he saw her. Her face was contorted into a pained look, and her violet eyes were swimming in tears.

"Rukia!"

In the time it took to blink, Ichigo was off the swing and standing in front of Rukia, wrapping his arms gently around her tiny body. "What's wrong?" He demanded, his voice twisting around his worry. "Rukia—"

She just shook her head, as if unable to answer, and buried her face in the front of his jacket, gripping the fabric tightly with her small fingers. Ichigo didn't ask any questions; he just held her as tightly as he could.

How long they stood like that, Ichigo wasn't sure. The tears never fell, though if they had, Ichigo wouldn't have let them get far. He wished there was something more he could do…but for now he settled for just holding her, his arms tight around her tiny, shaking form.

"Let's go." Rukia whispered finally. Ichigo blinked, surprised.

"Go where?" He asked cautiously. Rukia shook her head furiously.

"I don't know, somewhere, anywhere! The lake, let's go to the lake, I don't care. Let's just…go."

Ichigo put his hands on Rukia's shoulders, pushing back so he could look down at her face. "What's going on?" He demanded. Rukia bit her lip, closing her eyes.

"Please." She murmured. "I'll explain…I promise. But for now, please. Let's just get out of here."

Ichigo couldn't say no to her. He wanted to demand answers…but he really just _couldn't_ say no.

"All right. Let's go."

* * *

**Author's Note: **So I kinda thought the fact that the last chapter was a million years long would get me a few more reviews. But no, huh? Oh well…what about this one? Pretty please with a cherry on top? I'll be your bestest friend foreeeeeeeeeeever…hmn. Pretty sure I just cost myself every review I may have gotten. Oh well. Review? Please? — Sam


	11. The Part Of Life

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

* * *

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_"Let's go." Rukia whispered finally. Ichigo blinked, surprised._

_"Go where?" He asked cautiously. Rukia shook her head furiously._

_"I don't know, somewhere, anywhere! The lake, let's go to the river, I don't care. Let's just…go."_

_Ichigo put his hands on Rukia's shoulders, pushing back so he could look down at her face. "What's going on?" He demanded. Rukia bit her lip, closing her eyes._

_"Please." She murmured. "I'll explain…I promise. But for now, please. Let's just get out of here."_

_Ichigo couldn't say no to her. He wanted to demand answers…but he really just _couldn't_ say no._

_"All right. Let's go."_

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day — XI**_

—_**:——:—Tuesday, April 15**__**th**__**, 2008 – 8:08 p.m. —:——:—**_

Ichigo didn't push. Oh he wanted to. He was _dying_ to know what had Rukia so upset — he wanted to fix it. But Rukia had said she would tell him, and he trusted her. So he didn't push her. He let the walk to the river be silent, gave Rukia time to gather her thoughts. She would tell him when she was ready.

But _damn_ he wanted to know what was going on.

The moon was shining brightly tonight, casting an off-white glow over the river bank. They stopped in almost the exact same spot they'd sat in before, and after a minute Rukia sat down, pulling Ichigo with her (they'd held hands the entire walk). And finally Ichigo couldn't take it anymore.

"What's going on, Rukia? What's wrong?"

Rukia sighed, turning her head away from him, staring down at the river. "I just…wanted to come here." She whispered finally. "We sit at the park every night, a change of scenery—"

"Bull." Ichigo cut her off, a little impatient. "You could care less about the scenery, you can't even see it!" Rukia's lips twitched into a small smile. "You were practically in tears before. What's going on? And tell me the truth."

Silence. Ichigo stared hard at Rukia, who kept her head turned away from him. He leaned forward silently, trying to look around her shoulder and see her face…and his heart twisted uncomfortably when he saw there were tears in her eyes once more. "Rukia…"

"It's nothing." She said quickly, dragging the back of her hand across her eyes. "It's stupid, really, I don't know why I'm so upset about it…any other time…"

"It can't be _that_ stupid." Ichigo argued. "And it's not nothing, not if it upsets you this much. Come on, just talk to me, you know you can tell me anything." He paused, but still Rukia didn't speak. "Please?" He asked finally, his voice quiet. He was surprised when Rukia laughed; it was a very humorless sound.

"Well fine, just because you said 'please,' though." She teased weakly, drawing her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms tightly around her knees. "It's…my brother."

Ichigo was glad that Rukia couldn't see his face at the moment; he was sure it was a mixture of fear and confusion. Fear because in that terrifying moment, he wondered if perhaps she'd changed her mind, had decided to listen to Byakuya's opinion about him, Ichigo; confusion because he didn't understand why she had suddenly changed her mind.

He really didn't want to have to explain either of those things to her to her.

"What'd he do?"

"It's not what he _did_…" Rukia said slowly. "It's what he…_wants_ to do."

Ichigo felt a brief moment of relief. Maybe it wasn't about him after all. Instead of jumping to anymore conclusions, though, waited for Rukia to elaborate. When she didn't, he lightly pushed, "Well…what does he want to do?"

He couldn't imagine it being something _terrible_…Kuchiki Byakuya had seemed like a pretty uptight guy, from Ichigo had seen, not the kind that would ask anyone to do something _bad_. What could he possibly want that upset Rukia _this_ much?

"It's stupid…" The fact that she kept saying that just proved it really wasn't, though… "He wants…well, the company he works for, they're moving out to Tokyo…and he wants to go with them — and he wants _us_ to go with _him_."

It took Ichigo a moment to register these words. Byakuya wanted to move, wanted his family to move.

To Ichigo, this meant just one thing: _Byakuya wanted to take Rukia away_.

"Ichigo?"

The orange-haired teen jumped. He'd been quiet for too long, he supposed: Rukia was now looking in his general direction, her eyes slightly curious underneath the sadness. "I told you it was stupid, just forget about—"

"It's not."

Ichigo was surprised by how twisted his voice sounded. And of course, the fact didn't slip by Rukia, who raised a curious eyebrow. "What's wrong?"

Ichigo swallowed hard, trying to recollect himself. _Idiot_, he scolded himself silently, _she's upset enough, if she thinks _your_ upset too…_

"Nothing." He had to struggle to keep his voice under control. "It's nothing, don't worry about it." He took a deep breath as he prepared for his next words. "Do you know when he wants to move?"

Ichigo thought he saw something flash in Rukia's eyes…but it was gone before he could try to identify it. "No." Her voice was strangely flat. "Probably some time in the summer, though, Nee-san is going to want to finish up the year so she can transfer to another school…"

Ichigo drew in a deep, silent breath. Summer. In reality, that wasn't too far away. But it was further than, say, next week or next month…

_**11:34 p.m.**_

Rukia couldn't quite remember the last time she'd felt _this_ emotionally drained. Maybe never. But then, she couldn't remember the last time there'd been something she felt _this_ strongly about. She was pretty sure it was never, though.

For a moment — for one, selfishly glorious moment — he'd been so silent, and she'd let herself believe that maybe, just _maybe_ he would miss her. They'd become closer, after all; or that was what she thought, anyways. She'd never really had friends before. She didn't know what they were like. She didn't know if what she and Ichigo did — spending night after night with each other, talking, confiding, finding comfort in one another — was completely normal, or if it was something that was unique to the two of them.

But she felt like they were close. And so she'd allowed herself to hope, in those few silent moments after she'd told Ichigo of her brother's plans, that _maybe_ the idea of her leaving was as painful to him as it was to her.

_"Do you know when he wants to move?"_

It could have been a question asked out of desperation, she supposed — he wanted to know how much time they had left together. But his tone had betrayed no such kind of emotion. In fact…it had almost sounded like he didn't _care_. In fact, everything he said from there on in had been asked in a completely toneless voice: what was Hisana going to do about school, would they live in an apartment or get a house on the edge of the city, would they be able to get the windows tinted beforehand for Rukia…

And not once…had he even _hinted_ that he would miss her. The topic of the two of _them_ never even came up.

Rukia knew Hisana would be waiting for her when she walked in. And of course, she was right.

"Rukia—"

"I don't want to talk about it." Rukia cut her sister off irritably. "Just…leave me alone, okay?"

Hisana didn't listen, of course. She followed Rukia upstairs, saying, "I'm going to try and talk to Byakuya again, try to convince him to let the two of us stay here—"

"He won't go for that and you know it." Rukia cut Hisana off before her words could spark any kind of hope. She was _done_ with hope. "And maybe you've forgotten, but _he's_ the only one with direct access for the account Mom and Dad set up for us. If you want money, you have to go through him, and if you tell him you want money to be able to keep the house, he's going to say no. There's no point in even wasting your breath."

"You say that but you don't really mean it." Hisana argued quietly. "You want to stay here just as much as I do, and you know it."

"No, I don't." Rukia snapped. "I could care less what we do. There's about as much for me in Tokyo as there is here in Karakura Town —absolutely nothing."

A moment of silence followed Rukia's words. She knew exactly what Hisana was about to say; she just couldn't be bothered to head it off. "You have Kurosaki-kun here." She pointed out finally. Rukia reached out, finding her partially-open bedroom door and pushing it open all the way, stepping inside.

"Yeah." She said, her voice leaking with sarcasm. "That's what I thought too."

She slammed the door shut in what she was sure was her sister's utterly confused face.

_**11:58 p.m.**_

Ichigo just stared at his bedroom ceiling. She was leaving. Rukia was leaving. In the past month, she'd become his entire life…

And now his entire life was being yanked away from him. Again.

_Isn't it for the best, though?_ A voice in the back of Ichigo's head spoke up. _Let her leave now, before you get too attached, and she's yanked away from you in an even worse way. She's said it herself after all: people with XP don't have overly long life-spans. Do you want to be there as she slowly dies? Better to get out of it now, stay away. Save yourself the pain_.

"Shut up." Ichigo growled, rolling over and burying his face in his pillow. He didn't care about _any_ of that. Not that he would ever_ want_ to watch Rukia die — that would just be sick. But if being able to stay with her meant someday maybe having to go through that…he'd gladly take that pain, if it meant he could just keep her here. With him.

But to lose her just mere _months_ after meeting her? That was too much.

_You see? You feel this bad just because she's moving away, and you'll have only known her for a few _months_. Now imagine, say, ten _years_ down the road, if she was still here, and you found out she was somehow dying. Imagine how much pain you would be in _then_, after knowing her for _that_ long, and having _that_ much time with her, and on top of that she's not just _leaving_ — she's _dying_. Imagine that_.

"_Shut up_!" Ichigo slammed his fist into his pillow, his fingers digging into his skin until he almost drew blood.

_You're better off_.

"I don't _care_! I still don't want her to go!"

_Knock-Knock_

Ichigo pushed himself up quickly, looking at his bedroom door. "…Ichi-nii?" Yuzu's voice called hesitantly.

"Yeah, come in." Ichigo looked wearily at his clock. It was after midnight. What the hell was Yuzu doing awake?

The young girl stepped into the room, looking as weary as Ichigo felt. "Are you okay?" She asked, her eyes wide and curious. "You were shouting…did you have a nightmare?"

Ichigo instantly felt mortified. Had he _really_ just shouted that for the whole house to hear? "Yeah, Yuzu. A nightmare." _Too bad I'm still awake_. "Go back to bed, you have school in the morning."

"Are you okay?" Yuzu asked again, a bit more pressing this time. Ichigo sighed.

"I'm fine, Yuzu. It's just…been a long day. I really want to get to sleep — I mean, go back to sleep. Don't worry about me, all right?"

"Okay…" Yuzu started to leave, then paused in the door, looking over her shoulder. "Ichi-nii?"

"What?"

"Do you want one of my stuffed animals to keep you company, in case you have another nightmare?" Ichigo almost smiled. He loved Yuzu. She was so responsible, always taking care of the house, her family…but in reality, she was the youngest of all of them, the most innocent.

Ichigo wished _he_ could have been that way too.

"No thanks, Yuzu. Besides, aren't they all already keeping _you_ company?" Yuzu giggled.

"Yeah…but one of them could come over here with you for the night, if you really want." This time Ichigo _did_ smile.

"That's all right. Thanks for the offer though. Good night, Yuzu."

"'Night Ichi-nii." Yuzu yawned widely as she left, closing the door behind her and murmuring, "love you…"

Ichigo ran a hand through his hair. "Love you too." He muttered, though he knew she couldn't hear him. He crawled under the covers, yanking the blanket up over his head and burying his face in his pillow once more.

He could put on the 'okay' act for Yuzu and Karin and his father…and he'd do it for Rukia. She was obviously miserable enough as it was about this moving thing. He wasn't about to add to that pain. So no matter how much it cut him up inside that in just three short months he would lose what was probably the best thing in his life…

He was going to put on a smile. He was going to be okay. For her.

For Rukia.

* * *

**Author's Note: **So you can imagine the conundrum this 'okay' thing is going to cause, can't you? I've got most of this story planned out — a general outline, anyway, what I want to do between now and the move (which isn't too far away, there's going to be a time jump at some point), and then what happens _after_ move (because the story isn't going to end with the move, though that may be more kind, considering what I have in store for them), and some of you may want to kill Byakuya when I'm done…but hey, when _isn't _that the case? I swear to God, I depict him as a bad guy in a _lot_ of my stories. I don't hate him, I swear! Anyways…review? _Please_ review? Pretty please? It would be much appreciated…I'll beg if I have to… — Sam


	12. Acting The Part

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

* * *

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_"'Night Ichi-nii." Yuzu yawned widely as she left, closing the door behind her and murmuring, "love you…"_

_Ichigo ran a hand through his hair. "Love you too." He muttered, though he knew she couldn't hear him. He crawled under the covers, yanking the blanket up over his head and burying his face in his pillow once more._

_He could put on the 'okay' act for Yuzu and Karin and his father…and he'd do it for Rukia. She was obviously miserable enough as it was about this moving thing. He wasn't about to add to that pain. So no matter how much it cut him up inside that in just three short months he would lose what was probably the best thing in his life…_

_He was going to put on a smile. He was going to be okay. For her._

_For Rukia._

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day — XII**_

—_**:——:—Saturday, May 3**__**rd**__**, 2008 – 9:38 p.m. —:——:—**_

Ichigo had never noticed how _hard_ the 'okay' thing was. He'd acted for his family many times, after all, and sure, maybe he didn't like lying, but it always made _them_ feel better, and that was all he cared about. So one would think the same concept applied to acting for Rukia.

But it didn't.

Every time he put on a smile and asked her one question or another about the move, every time he listened to her complain about how Hisana was _already_ moving things around as she tried to figure out what they could pack first, pack later, pack some time in the middle…every time he tried to act for her, it took everything he had not to just shout in frustration, to tell Rukia he didn't _want_ to talk about this, didn't want to listen to _her_ talk about it. The official moving day was June first. That gave Ichigo less than a month, now, until he lost her.

The last thing he wanted was to leave her with bad memories.

And so he spent every possible second with her, meeting her every night in the park — though a lot of the times now they just met at the park, then headed for the river — sometimes even going to her house after school (though slipping out the back door when they heard Hisana's car in the driveway; they usually didn't get more than hour together there). And he kept a smile on all the time. He tried to be okay.

When he was alone, though…when he was left to himself, after a night with Rukia, or hell, even an hour, it was a completely different story.

He hated this. He wanted to tell Rukia the truth — tell her he didn't _want_ her to leave, he _needed_ her to stay. Sure, that wouldn't change anything, but at least she would _know_. She'd know that in the two months since they'd met, she'd become an important part of Ichigo's life — _the_ most important part. He needed her.

But he knew telling her that would just upset her, make it harder for her to leave. And he'd already decided he wouldn't do that.

But _damn_ was it hard.

"And everything is moved around; I can't find _anything._ I swear Nee-san is doing this to me on purpose…"

Tonight's topic of complaint was the fact that Hisana was packing and moving everything around, making it more impossible than usual for Rukia to find things in the house. Ichigo was careful to pay close enough attention to know when to nod or make a noise of indignation. But most of his mind was in another place — a place that was already mourning what he was losing.

_**11:55 p.m.**_

Rukia took her time walking home, a place she no longer wanted to be. The fact that everything was moved around and there were boxes everywhere — making Rukia a walking disaster — was just one of the many things that made home a less than appealing place to be.

Byakuya and Hisana had become increasingly annoyed and snippy with each other. Hisana was doing everything she could to keep the move from happening, though even _she_ knew by now it was a lost battle. Byakuya, meanwhile, had become nothing short of an unmovable rock, making the fights all the more annoying because it was mostly just Hisana talking and Byakuya walking away — though eventually even _he_ got annoyed and turned on Hisana, starting the real argument.

The whole thing made home a very unpleasant place to be.

A loud _bang_ greeted Rukia as she entered the kitchen. It sounded suspiciously like a cabinet door being slammed shut. "Is that _really_ necessary?" She asked as she slipped off her shoes. "Waking him up isn't going to make him any more agreeable."

"I'm not _trying_ to make him agreeable, I'm trying to annoy him so he'll know how I feel." Hisana shot back.

"He knows how you feel Nee-san. The entire _neighborhood_ knows how you feel thanks to those fights you two keep having." Hisana laughed shortly.

"Maybe if I argue enough he'll start to bend."

"Have you _ever_ seen Nii-sama bend on _anything_?" Rukia asked incredulously. "We've got less than a month left, the house already has a potential buyer, the money's already down on a new house just outside of Tokyo, the windows have already been tinted for me…you're not going to change his mind, Nee-san. _Nothing_ is going to change his mind."

She added that last part in a very bitter voice. Hisana sighed, and a few footsteps later, she rested a hand on her sister's head. "I know you don't want to go—"

"I told you I don't care."

"You don't mean that." Hisana argued. Rukia jerked out of her sister's grip, stepping carefully towards the stairs.

"I really wish you would stop telling me what I do and don't feel." She said distantly, paying more attention to the steps she was taking than to the conversation she was having. That probably wasn't a good idea — Hisana had a knack for catching people off-guard and getting them to say things she didn't mean.

"Do you think it'll be easier to leave if you pretend you don't care?" Hisana pushed. "Would it be better if things were the same as they were two months ago, when you didn't have any friends, when you didn't know Kurosaki-kun?"

"I _think_ you like Ichigo more than _I_ do." Rukia shot back as she tripped over a box. "He seems to be all you talk about when you try to talk to me these days. You want me to have him come over again so you can see him?"

Hisana sighed, a hint of annoyance slipping in to the huff of breath. "I wish for once you would just _talk_ to me, try to be honest about your feelings instead of hiding it, you might be surprised—"

"Surprised by _what_?" Rukia asked as she finally stumbled over a box. Annoyed now, she turned on her sister. "What good is _talking_ going to do if there's nothing you can do about it?! You can't fix _everything_ Nee-san, stop trying!"

Hisana was quiet for a minute. Rukia knew she hadn't insulted her sister — comments like that always just bounced off the older woman. Had she actually given up the argument? Rukia brushed that thought off almost as soon as it entered her mind. No. Hisana _never_ gave up.

"You've never given me a chance." There was actually a note of _hurt_ in Hisana's voice. It shook Rukia just a little. "You've never given _anyone_ a chance, Rukia. Every single time I try to help you, you tell me I wouldn't understand and walk away, not _once_ have you trusted me enough to tell me—"

"Don't use the pity card on me." Rukia cut her sister off. "I told you before, didn't I? When I first met Ichigo I told you everything—"

"After I spent _days_ bothering you!" Hisana shot back. "You told me because you wanted to shut me up and at the time you didn't think it was a problem anyways!" Rukia didn't answer. "What _is it_ with you and this never-ending stubborn streak that has you thinking you _have_ to always be alone? Why do you think if you pretend not to care, than nothing can hurt you? Who put this…this _idea_ in your head that you're made of _stone_?"

Rukia didn't say anything for a long time.

_"She's a freak, why do you hang out with her?"_

_"Everyone deserves a friend, don't they? Even if they _are_ freaky little things like her."_

"It's a hard world Nee-san." Rukia said finally. "If you're not made of stone, you're never going to do survive."

—_**:——:—Saturday, May 4**__**th**__**, 2008 – 8:45 p.m. —:——:—**_

Ichigo shoved his hands into his pockets as he made his way through the park, heading, as always, for the swings. He was already preparing himself for another long night of acting, of trying to pretend like he was completely okay with the fact that in less then one month, his entire life was going to be ripped out from under him.

_When did you start thinking of her like that?_ A voice in the back of Ichigo's mind demanded. The truth was, he wasn't sure. He wasn't sure why he had let Rukia become the center of his life. It scared him.

And it scared him even more to think he was going to lose that center.

"Where is she?" He hadn't meant to say that out-loud, but his shock at seeing the swings empty was enough to compel him to speak.

It was early, he reasoned as he sat down, facing the woods. She hadn't blown him off once since all the secrets had come out. And since Rukia had told him she was moving…it had pretty much been impossible to keep the two of them away from each other.

_**8:47 p.m.**_

_"Hi."_

_Rukia looked up to the source of the voice, which was somewhere a couple feet above her head. "I'm Shinji." The voice continued. "What's your name?"_

_"Rukia." She said her name in a very mistrusting name. Eight years old and she already knew there was no way anyone in the world could ever like her._

_"Why are you here?" Shinji asked, and Rukia felt his foot brush against hers as he moved, she assumed, to sit next to here. 'Here' was the waiting room for the clinic Rukia's mother brought her to a couple times a month for check-ups._

_Rukia didn't answer. Truth was, she didn't know _how_ to answer. It was hard to explain XP to other people. _She_ barely understood, and she _lived_ with it. "I have Osteogenesis imperfecta," Shinji went on when he realized Rukia wasn't going to answer._

_"What's _that_?" Rukia demanded._

_"Brittle-bone disease." Shinji explained. "Means my bones aren't as strong as other people, they break easily."_

_"Ouch." Rukia flinched. "How old are you?"_

_"Twelve." Shinji sounded proud of himself. "I fell tripped last month playing baseball, landed on my arm the wrong way. That's why I'm here now."_

_"Oh." Rukia turned her head to look down at the floor. "I have Xeroderma Pigmentosum. That means I can't go out in the sun."_

_"Really?" Shinji sounded curious now. "What'll happen if you do?"_

_Rukia was quiet for a minute. "Well I lost my sight because I was out in the sun for too long once. The doctor said it could have been a lot worse though."_

_"Your blind?" _Now_ Shinji sounded fascinated. Rukia almost smiled as she tried to explain to him — to the best of her abilities — how she had lost her sight. And she wondered if this was what it was like…to have a friend_.

Rukia cursed silently as she tripped over a recently fallen branch. Great, wasn't that just what she needed — to go and break her neck.

Finally, finally, Rukia found her way to the park. She heard a swing creaking, and figured it was Ichigo. Her suspicion was confirmed when the swing stopped and Ichigo's voice said, "Hey, beginning to think you weren't coming."

"How long have you been sitting here?" Rukia demanded as she went to sit on her designated swing.

"Two minutes." Ichigo admitted, sounding a bit sheepish.

"Oh wow, a whole _two minutes_?" Rukia said sarcastically. "Well I'm _so_ sorry I kept you waiting for _so_ long, I don't know _how_ you survived—"

"Oh be quiet." Ichigo's reprimand was diminished by the fact that Rukia could _tell_ he was smiling, even without being able to see his face. "So how are things at the house, still chaos?"

"Of course." Rukia rolled her eyes. "There are boxes _all_ over the kitchen, I can't even step foot in the _door_ without tripping and falling flat on my face I think Nee-san is _trying_ to kill me…"

Ichigo chuckled. "I think even _she _realizes she would never get that lucky."

Rukia swung her leg out, feeling a vague sense of satisfaction when it connected with Ichigo's shin. "_Ow_." Ichigo moaned, and the swing creaked as Ichigo, Rukia presumed, bent down to rub the offending area. "You really are the worst, you know that, right?"

"I've been informed." Rukia grinned. It felt like an incredibly empty gesture. She was almost surprised Ichigo didn't notice.

"All right, as long as you're sure. So besides the boxes in the kitchen, how's everything else going?"

That was all Rukia needed to launch into another rant…and keep herself from asking the question that was more important to her than anything else: did Ichigo actually _care_ that she was leaving?

* * *

**Author's Note: **So this filler thing is over with next chapter…another time-skip, and Rukia's already flown off into the sunset — so to speak. You're still going to have be patient with chapters, I've got classes and homework and all kinds of stuff going on, and that includes having no time to write :-/ Please be patient though, I'm _really_ trying. Review, please? — Sam


	13. Letters to No One

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

* * *

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_Ichigo chuckled. "I think even_ she_ realizes she would never get that lucky."_

_Rukia swung her leg out, feeling a vague sense of satisfaction when it connected with Ichigo's shin._ "Ow." _Ichigo moaned, and the swing creaked as Ichigo, Rukia presumed, bent down to rub the offending area. "You really are the worst, you know that, right?"_

_"I've been informed." Rukia grinned. It felt incredibly empty._

_"All right, as long as you're sure. So besides the boxes in the kitchen, how's everything else going?"_

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day — XIII**_

—_**:—:—Wednesday, June 24**__**th**__**, 2008—:—:—**_

_Dear Rukia,_

_Have I mentioned how hard it is to find someone who teaches Braille in Karakura Town? I finally got a-hold of your old teacher — how the hell did you put up with her? — and she taught me a little, then I invested in this old Braille type-writer thing I found at a store she pointed me to. I still kind of suck at this whole thing, so you'll have to excuse any mistakes I make._

_How's it going at your new house? Lots of boxes? I bet you're tripping over everything — yeah, I know, if we were standing together you'd kick me right now. Guess you'll have to just settle for hating me as you read this._

_Yuzu misses you. She keeps asking if we can go out to Tokyo and visit you, but Dad says with money as tight as it is right now, he can't really afford to take a day off and drive us out there. That isn't stopping Yuzu from trying, though — you know how stubborn she is. I kind of wish Dad __would__ just cave and drive us out — even just to shut Yuzu up. I want to see you too._

_So is your new house big? Have you gotten lost yet? I can just see you wandering around, trying to find walls, and if your brother and sister weren't home forget it…yeah, I know, you want to kick me again. Too bad for you, ha-ha._

_Hope you know I'm kidding. Just pointing that out._

_Sorry. I don't really know what to say. I've been trying to write this for hours now, and I'm still just saying what's coming to mind, and it' coming out all wrong, and I…just really don't know. I miss you. That's all I really want to say right now. I miss you, and I miss the time we spent in the park, and I just…I miss it all. If it's possible, I want to see you. Soon._

—_Ichigo_

—_**:—:—Tuesday, June 23**__**rd**__**, 2008—:—:—**_

_Dear Ichigo,_

_It took me forever to figure out how I was going to write to you. As an absolute last resort I was going to ask Nee-san to just write what I told her to, but I didn't really want to have to put up with __that__. Then my brother bought me this keypad — it's kind of cool, it has Braille letters on it and you can use it to type stuff then hook it up to a computer and print it out in regular letters. I'm not all that great with it, so there are probably a lot of mistakes. Sorry._

_How's your break been? Done anything fun? I've been trying to convince Hisana to drive me back for a day — you know, to visit — but she's busy trying to get the house straightened out and getting her classes in order — she's taking summer courses right now, she's missing a few required subjects and if she wants to graduate next year she needs to take them now. Nii-sama really screwed her up by making her transfer this far in. They're kind of in a fight right now — Nee-san and Nii-sama, I mean. I don't know if she's mad about the school thing or just the whole move in general, but she's been really stiff with him lately — I've never heard her this mad. I don't think Nii-sama is either, he has no clue how to handle it. He spends a lot of time working now._

_How's your family doing? I bet Yuzu-chan and Karin-chan have been keeping you busy, being home all day. Is your father still driving you nuts? I bet he is. You must be going insane now that you don't have an excuse to be out of the house every night. Unless maybe you decided to finally, you know, get a __real__ life. If you even know what something like that is._

_Hope you know I'm just teasing._

_You know at first I wasn't going to write to you. But I guess I'm just selfish, because whether or not you want to hear from me, I want to write to you. I miss it. I miss all the time we spent at the park, the river, my house. I miss __you__. I want to see you again. Soon, if it's possible._

—_Rukia_

—_**:—:—Wednesday, July 4**__**th**__**, 2008—:—:—**_

_Rukia,_

_How are you? Have you found a new place to go at night? Or do you just wander around the streets now? I'm assuming you still go out at night, of course — I can't imagine you staying held up in the house night after night, not when you're used to have so much freedom. Then again, Tokyo __is__ bigger than Karakura Town, your siblings probably don't like the idea of you wandering around too much. But then again, when has their disapproval ever stopped you?_

_I went to the beach with a couple of friends today. It was fun — I guess. I just sort of sat on the blanket and watched them most of the time, I wasn't in the mood to go swimming or anything. It was nice to get out of the house though. I think I've been spending too much time locked up in my room. There just hasn't been anything to do. I've been playing my guitar a lot more since summer started, I even started writing song, though I haven't gotten very far in it. I'm trying though. My dad and sisters think it's great I started playing again. I only did it because of you, though. You seemed to love it that one time I played for you…_

_You know how you're always saying time is non-existent? It doesn't feel that way right now. It feels like time is just dragging by now, minute after minute, day after day. Nothing seems to be moving anymore. It went by much faster when you were here._

_I still go to the park sometimes. I still go to the swings. Or I'll go to the river. Some nights I just really don't feel like going home and I'll go to both, sit there for hours. I'm sure I look pretty ridiculous to anyone who sees me — I just sit there and stare at the stars, or out at the water when I'm at the river, or when I'm at the swings sometimes I just stare into the woods, like I'm waiting for someone. I must look insane._

_I still miss you. Hope you're doing all right. Say hello to your sister for me._

—_Ichigo_

—_**:—:—Saturday, July 7**__**th**__**, 2008—:—:—**_

_Ichigo,_

_I swore I wouldn't write to you again — really I did. But today is your birthday, and I've been thinking about you all day, and finally I decided that I just __needed__ to write to you. I wanted to say happy birthday…and anyways writing to you makes me feel better. So I'm going to keep writing. And I'm going to tell you everything. Okay?_

_There's this park near my house, it's specifically geared towards kids with different kinds of disabilities — you know, kids who are blind or death, or have some other kind of handicap. They even light it up at night for kids like me — kids who can't go out in the sunlight. There aren't that many of course, none with cases as severe as mine — but there are a few. Just kids who can't go out during the day for one reason or another. I met this one girl, she has skin cancer, she spent too much time in the sun when she was little, and now her parents are afraid to let her outside during the day. She's nice, not at all bitter about the way her life is going, and she seems pretty confident she's going to beat this cancer. Optimistic, I guess. Kind of wish I could be like that._

_I'm still home alone during the day. Usually during the summer Nee-san is around, but like I said before, she has to take those summer courses, so now she's gone for most of the day too. I didn't realize how much I missed the company — it gets lonely in the house by myself. Sometimes Hinamori — that's the girl I mentioned in the last paragraph — can talk her mother into bringing her over, but it's such a big production, she has to get all dressed up so none of her skin is showing, and it's a million degrees outside during the day, so usually when she offers to come over I just tell her not to bother. It's too much of a hassle for her._

_Nii-sama and Nee-san still aren't really talking to each other. I'm starting to think something may be wrong between them — permanently wrong, I mean. Nii-sama can be cold sometimes — I'm sure you remember — but he and Nee-san __always__ got along. They barely talk now though, and when they do it usually turns into an argument. I'm worried._

_So have you done anything with your summer yet? I'd hate to think about you just sitting in your house all day brooding. Go and have some fun while you still can. Summer will be over before you know it, and then you'll be complaining that you're back in school and that you wasted your entire summer. Remember that._

_I miss you. Happy birthday._

—_Rukia_

—_**:—:—Monday, July 16**__**th**__**, 2008—:—:—**_

_Rukia,_

_I don't really have much to say right now, not much as changed since I last wrote you. I wrote a little bit more of that song I was telling you about — I was thinking maybe if I ever finished it I could, ya know, make a recording and send it to you. If you want me to, I mean. Let me know._

_Summer's almost half over. It feels like it's been dragging on forever. Before you told me you were moving, I was looking forward to this — I could stay out as late as I wanted with you, I didn't have to come home and get to bed and get up for school…I could have been just like you — not trapped by time. I could have stayed with you all night, and I could have walked you home when it was time to go…I was looking forward to that, ya know? But now you're not here, and I have nothing to do, and everything is going by so slow…and I almost wish it was time to go back to school, just so I'd have something to do with myself and maybe for a minute I could stop thinking about you._

_I just realized how bad that last line sounded. I'm not saying I want to forget about you or anything — I __never__ want to forget you. It just…it hurts. I think about you every single second of every single day, I sit at the park or the river every night now, and all I can see in my mind is __you__, and it hurts so much. But that doesn't mean I want to forget. Because I don't. I could never forget you — and I never want to try._

_I'm probably freaking you out with the way I'm writing. Is that why you haven't written me back? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you off. All you have to do is say the word, and I'll stop writing these things — or stop writing all together, if you'd prefer that. It's your call, Rukia._

_Still miss you. I don't think that's ever going away._

—_Ichigo_

—_**:—:—Wednesday, July 18**__**th**__**, 2008—:—:—**_

_Ichigo,_

_Hinamori says I'm a masochist because I keep writing to you. But I can't help it. It's a bit…cathartic, I guess is the right word. Writing to you makes me feel a little bit better. Like I've gotten some big weight off my chest._

_Everything seems so dark now. I know, I know — I'm a blind girl living with a disease that makes it impossible for me to go out into the sun, everything is __always__ dark in my world. But before…when I was with you…things seemed brighter, in a strange way. Like you added light to things — a light only I could see. God this isn't making any sense at all, is it? I'm not good with words, I guess. The simple way to say all of this is that I was…happy, when I was with you. Happier than I could ever remember being. And now I'm all the way in Tokyo, and I haven't spoken to you since we moved and…I'm not happy anymore. I wasn't happy before I met you either, though. Not according to my sister anyways. She says you brought something into my life that I'd never had before. I thought she meant you gave me a friend, but I have another friend now, and I'm still not happy, so that can't be right…I don't understand. Any of it. I don't understand why I think about you so much, why, when I even so much as __think__ your name, it hurts so much. Why, when I ask Nii-sama every day and he says there are no letters from you, I feel like I want to cry. Why I can't __stop__ thinking about you. Why you made me so happy. I don't understand any of it._

_Does it hurt you as much as it hurts me? Is that why you haven't written, because it hurts so much? I understand __that__, at least…every time I try to sit down and write to you, I spend hours just sitting there, trying to figure out what to say, trying to figure out how to say everything in a way that won't make you think I'm insane. Apparently I haven't been doing a very good job though, because you haven't been writing back. Did I say something wrong? Is that it? Please tell me, Ichigo. If I said something wrong, I want to know so I don't say it again. Please write me back._

_I still miss you. I thought that would go away after awhile…but I'm beginning to think it's permanent._

—_Rukia_

—_**:—:—Thursday, July 31**__**st**__**, 2008—:—:—**_

_Rukia,_

_You know I'm the one to talk to, (I will listen), I wanna hear, the things you don't wanna say, let me hear it (I just wanna hear it)._

_That's a line from my song, I just wrote it a couple minutes ago. I stared at it for awhile, and decided I wanted to write you another letter, even though you still haven't written me back. I __needed__ to write to you. And I needed to tell you that song line, because it just made me think of you. It made me think about all the time we spent at the park, and all the time you spent complaining to be about things, and every single thing you told me. You knew you could talk to me. You never hesitated._

_So why are you hesitating now? Tomorrow will make it two months since you moved, and you haven't written me back once. If you don't want to talk to me anymore, you can tell me, I won't be upset. Okay, that's a lie. I might be a little upset. But if you don't want to write to me, you can tell me, and I promise I won't hold it against you. At least I'll know. That's all I really want right now Rukia. I want to know. Even just one letter — even a goodbye letter — would be nice._

_And if you decide you want to write to me and tell me what's going on in your life, that'd be even better. I'm still willing to listen, Rukia, to anything you want to talk about. I'm not going anywhere. But I'm going to stop bothering you. I won't write to you until you write back. I promise._

_Miss you. Write me back soon._

—_Ichigo_

—_**:—:—Tuesday, July 29**__**th**__**, 2008—:—:—**_

_Ichigo,_

_I __swore__ to myself I wouldn't write to you until I got a letter back. But I can't help myself. Nii-sama and Nee-san are downstairs arguing, and the sun hasn't set yet, so I can't even go out and get away from them. I need someone to talk to. I could call Hinamori, but then she'd hear them arguing, and insist on coming over, and I don't really want to bother her. Besides…__you're__ who I really want to talk to._

_I don't know why you haven't written me back. Is it because you don't want to talk to me anymore? If that's the case I really wish you would just __tell__ me, instead of ignoring me. It would hurt if you said you didn't want me to write you any more letters, but I'd get over it. But just not having you speak to me…that hurts so much more._

_I want to know how you've been doing. I want you to tell me about your summer. I want you to complain about all the crazy things your father has done, to tell me how your sisters are doing, how much you aren't or are looking forward to going back to school. I want you to tell me everything. I won't write you again until I get a letter back from you, I promise. And if I don't get a letter back…well we'll cross that bridge when we get there, won't we?_

_I miss you. Please write me back. Even if it's just to say goodbye._

—_Rukia_

—_**:—:—Sunday, August 31**__**st**__**, 2008—:—:—**_

_Rukia,_

_I know I said I wouldn't send another letter until you wrote me back. But I needed to send you another one. I needed to say goodbye._

_I've been trying all summer, but I guess you aren't interested anymore. And I understand that. So I'll leave you alone, okay? And if I __do__ write anymore letters, I won't send them, I promise. I'm going to leave this up to you now, Rukia. It's your call, all right? This entire thing is in your hands._

_Before I finish this though, I want to say something: I'm starting to realize __why__ it hurts so much that you've been gone for so long, and you haven't written back. You're important to me, Rukia. Very important. I know they say time heals all wounds, but I think they're wrong. Because tomorrow will make three months since you moved away, and the wound you left in me is as big as ever. This feeling will never go away._

_How insane will you think I am if I tell you I think I've fallen in love with you?_

_I'm leaving this to you now, Rukia. If you decide not to write me back…than I guess this will be goodbye. I'll wait for you though. I promise. I'm yours forever._

_Love,_

_Ichigo_

_Ichigo,_

_This is the last time I'll write to you. I get the hint — you don't want to talk to me anymore. I wish you would have at least __told__ me, but I guess maybe you were trying to save me some of that hurt. You get points for trying, I suppose. The truth is, though, not writing just made it a lot worse._

_I have a question: is two months too short of a time to fall in love? Because we only had two months together, but somehow, I think I managed to fall in love with you. That's the only explanation there is as to why all this hurts so much — being away from you, not hearing from you, all of it. If you were just a friend, I don't think it would hurt at all — or at the very least, it would have already gone away. But it's still here, as present as ever, and I don't think it'll ever disappear. I'm just going to have to learn to live with it, I guess._

_I won't write to you anymore, unless you write me back, of course. The ball is in your court. No matter what happens, though, I'll always be yours. You made me happy, Ichigo. You gave me my life. I belong to you. Forever._

_Love,_

_Rukia_

_**4:55 p.m.**_

Ichigo rubbed his eyes as he finished folding the letter and put it in the already addressed and stamped envelope. He sealed the envelope and stood up, going downstairs to get his jacket and shoes.

"I'm going out." He called as he slipped into his shoes and pulled his jacket on, slipping the letter into his pocket. "Be back in a few."

The mailbox was only a couple streets over, but Ichigo dragged his feet, trying to drag this walk out as long as possible. It felt like the beginning of the end for him. He was sending this letter — and he was saying goodbye.

It hurt so much.

_You don't have to do this_, a voice in the back of his head whispered as he pulled open the door on the mailbox and took the letter out of his pocket. _Just keep writing. I'm sure she'll write you back eventually_.

It had been two months, though, since Ichigo had written the first of many letters. Two months, and there hadn't been one response. Rukia wasn't going to write him back.

And he was done bothering her. Obviously she didn't feel the same way he did.

He dropped the letter into the mailbox and walked away.

_**5:02 p.m.**_

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Hisana asked quietly. Rukia nodded, refusing to turn her face in her sister's direction.

"If he doesn't want to write me back, that's fine. I'm going to stop bothering him."

"You don't know—"

"It's been over two months, Nee-san." Rukia interrupted Hisana, annoyed. "He's not going to write me back. I'm not going to keep bothering with someone who has no interest in being my friend."

And with that she turned and hurried upstairs, not wanting her sister to see the tears forming in her blind eyes.

—_**:—:—Saturday, September 6**__**th**__**, 2008 – 10:52 a.m.—:—:—**_

Byakuya opened the mailbox, pulling out the stack of envelopes that greeted him. He was not at all surprised to find yet another hand-addressed envelope who's return address was Karakura Town.

He took the letter of the pile, slipping it into his back pocket. He'd put it with the others later.

For over two months now he'd kept up a series of interventions, taking the letters Rukia wrote under the pretense of mailing them, and making sure they were never sent. Likewise, he always made sure to check the mail before Hisana, making sure to always take the one from Ichigo and hiding it. As far as either of his sisters knew, the boy had just never bothered to write a letter.

Byakuya knew better, of course. There were several others — just like the one currently hiding in his pocket — hidden away in the back of his desk. But he knew it was only a matter of time before Kurosaki got bored and stopped writing. And when that time came, Rukia would be even more crushed than she had been by the fact that the boy just hadn't written.

Rukia had already suffered enough hurt to last a lifetime. She didn't some careless, irresponsible teenager adding to it.

* * *

**Author's Note: **So I really turn Byakuya into a jackass in my stories, don't I? Oops. Well don't worry, he's heading for a major epiphany in about two chapters…hope that pride doesn't choke him as it goes down. :-P Review please. Oh, and **Disclaimer:** The song lyrics written at the beginning of Ichigo's fourth letter do not belong to me — they belong to my friends' band, _Halfway Point_ and their song _Beautiful Eyes_. Look 'em up on MySpace — they're awesome. Anyways, as I was saying before — review please and let me know what you think! — Sam


	14. Shadows of the Day and Night

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

**Disclaimer:** The song Ichigo is singing in the beginning _is not mine_ -- it belongs to my friends' band Halfway Point, and was written by their bass player.

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_For over two months now he'd kept up a series of interventions, taking the letters Rukia wrote under the pretense of mailing them, and making sure they were never sent. Likewise, he always made sure to check the mail before Hisana, making sure to always take the one from Ichigo and hiding it. As far as either of his sisters knew, the boy had just never bothered to write a letter._

_Byakuya knew better, of course. There were several others — just like the one currently hiding in his pocket — hidden away in the back of his desk. But he knew it was only a matter of time before Kurosaki got bored and stopped writing. And when that time came, Rukia would be even more crushed than she had been by the fact that the boy just hadn't written._

_Rukia had already suffered enough hurt to last a lifetime. She didn't need some careless, irresponsible teenager adding to it._

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day — XIV**_

—_**:—:—Saturday, February 21**__**st**__**, 2009 – 8:59 p.m.—:—:—**_

_**(**__**Six Months Later**__**)**_

"_I'm falling in love with you, I know you love me too, I love you, too cause there's nothing we wont do_…"

The final chord faded away into nothing, and Ichigo heard clapping. He turned to look at his bedroom door, and saw Yuzu standing there, her eyes shining. "That was great Ichi-nii! That's the song you've been working on, right?"

"Yeah." Ichigo looked out the window. The sky was clear tonight, not a cloud in sight, and Ichigo had a great view of the stars from where he was sitting.

It had been eight months. Eight long, torturous months since Rukia had moved away, six months since he had written his last letter. Well, that was a minor lie. Six months since he'd _sent_ his last letter. He still wrote at least one a week, saying everything he could never say out-loud — how much he missed Rukia and everything about her, how much he cared about her…how much he loved her…

He wrote them all in a notebook, but always recopied them into Braille. Maybe one day he'd get the courage to send them. The notebook, meanwhile, became a journal of sorts. He wrote letters in it and he worked on new songs in it. He'd only completed one song so far though.

"Ichi-nii do you miss Rukia-chan?" Yuzu asked after a moment, her voice quiet. Ichigo looked back at his sister. He couldn't lie to her, even if he tried.

"Yeah, Yuzu, I do. I miss her a lot."

Yuzu nodded slowly. "I thought so. You know Daddy says as long as you miss someone, they never really truly leave you."

"I know he does." Ichigo had heard that more than once in the years that had passed since his mother had died.

"Maybe Rukia-chan will come back, Ichi-nii. You never know."

But he did know. Rukia had been the one to cut off their correspondence, after all. She didn't miss him at all.

She wasn't coming back.

_**10:33 p.m.**_

"So then _Shirou-chan_ said…hey, Rukia-san, are you listening to me?" Rukia jumped as Hinamori tapped her on the head.

"Yeah, Momo-san, I'm listening. Sorry." Hinamori sighed.

"You're _thinking_ about him again, aren't you?" She demanded, her voice a mixture of pity and disapproval.

"In my defense, Momo-san, it's hard _not_ to think about him when you're constantly going on about your boyfriend." She heard Hinamori shift on her swing, obviously uncomfortable.

"Fine." The girl ceded finally. "No more boy talk. We'll pretend they don't exist, okay?" Rukia didn't answer. "So how've things been with your brother and sister?"

"Oh God." Rukia moaned. "They're still arguing. Nee-san is really unhappy here, I guess. She hates school, she hates our neighborhood…I'm starting to think she hates Nii-sama. She wants to go back to Karakura Town."

"Yeah, but so do you." Hinamori pointed out. "But you're not arguing with him like she is."

"Arguing with Nii-sama is like arguing with a pile of bricks." Rukia informed Hinamori bitterly. "No, I think you'd get further arguing with a pile of bricks. Nii-sama is stubborn, when he thinks something is right, he sticks with it no matter what. He thought this move was the right thing to do, he's not going to change his mind. No matter how much Nee-san yells at him."

"At least she's making an effort." Hinamori said quietly. "Hisana-san obviously isn't the kind of person who just sits down and takes something she doesn't want. Maybe you should be more like that, Rukia-san. Tell Byakuya-sama how you feel. Maybe it won't change anything, but at least you'll get it off your chest. You deserve to be heard, Rukia-san."

Rukia didn't answer. The truth was, she didn't have a voice. Not in her family. Not in the world. The only person that had ever _really_ cared about her opinion had been Ichigo. Without him…she was just a shadow.

—_**:—:—Monday, February 23**__**rd**__**, 2009 – 9:38 a.m.—:—:—**_

Ichigo carefully dictated every word that was written on the blackboard — every word he _did not_ care about. He was in his final months of high school, he didn't care about whatever it was they had to teach him now. But he took the notes anyways, filing each one away in a corner of his brain where he would eventually forget about them — a corner that _wasn't_ completely ruled by Rukia.

It was a very small corner indeed.

Nothing mattered to Ichigo anymore. He sat at home every night and did his homework, studied his notes, made sure he knew every bit of information, but none of it _mattered_. None of it was going to help him figure out the one mystery that haunted him every single day — nothing was going to help him figure out what had gone so wrong, _why_ Rukia had never written to him.

That was the only thing he really cared about knowing. He hated not having the information. He hated not knowing what had gone wrong.

He hated not having Rukia in his life anymore.

Before he'd met Rukia, he'd just been interested in getting through life and getting it all over with. He wasn't aspiring towards anything — he just wanted to live. And he'd been mostly happy with that — as happy as he ever got, anyways.

He almost wished he could go back to that. But now he'd experienced happiness — the happiness that came with falling in love with someone, with allowing someone to become the center of one's universe. And now he felt as if he'd fallen out of orbit — a lone moon who's planet had been destroyed.

He felt like a shadow.

_**3:54 p.m.**_

Rukia turned in the direction of the shifting noise that was coming from the couch. "Morning sleepy-head." She said, half-jokingly. Hinamori gasped, and the couch creaked; Rukia assumed the girl had sat up very quickly.

"I'm so sorry Rukia-san, I didn't mean to fall asleep—"

"It's all right, Momo-san." Rukia interrupted quickly. "Really, don't worry about it."

"You should have woken me up."

"It's fine."

When summer had ended, Hinamori's parents — who both taught at a local school — had gone back to work, leaving Hinamori home alone during the day. Both she and Rukia had complained enough about being lonely that they'd convinced Hinamori's parents to allow her to come to Rukia's during the day; she usually stayed until after supper, then the two went to the park together and hung out for a couple of hours, enjoying the feeling of being allowed outside.

"So what are you reading?" Hinamori asked, her voice twisting as, Rukia guessed, she tried to suppress a yawn.

"Just that book Ukitake-san assigned us." Hinamori groaned. Obviously she'd forgotten about that particular homework assignment.

"We're going to be done next month." Hinamori grumbled. "Why is he still assigning us homework?"

"I dunno, maybe he wants us to learn." Rukia suggested sarcastically, and Hinamori giggled tiredly.

"Shirou-chan says learning is overrated."

"Yeah." Rukia murmured, turning her head away. "Ichigo used to say the same thing." Hinamori didn't answer. Rukia quickly changed the subject. "You slept through lunch, there are still some noodles in the pan if you're hungry…"

"Really?" Rukia assumed the pause that followed was Hinamori checking a clock. "Oh wow! Rukia-san why did you let me sleep so long?"

"Time is—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know, a mythical idea that has no real bearing over one's life, and we should learn not to be so controlled by it." Hinamori recited Rukia's words like an old nursery rhyme. "Rukia-san sing a new tune. And if you start singing," Hinamori added quickly as Rukia started to open her mouth, "I will get a bowl of noodles and dump then over your head. Understand?"

Rukia closed her mouth quickly. There was no doubt in her mind that was a real threat. Hinamori giggled as the couch creaked — Rukia assumed that meant she was standing up — and her footsteps carried her towards the kitchen. "Hey Momo-san." Rukia called as she listened to her friend shuffle around in the kitchen. "How long have you and Toushirou-kun known each other?"

"Most of our lives." Hinamori called back. "His family moved in next to mine when we were three."

"When did you start going out?"

"Officially or unofficially?" The question perplexed Rukia. She decided to wait for Hinamori to explain herself. "People thought we were going out long before we actually started — it was just one of those things. But officially it's been about three years — about six months after I was diagnosed with cancer. After I started the chemo, you know, all my hair fell out, and I was pretty down about myself. One night I was sitting in my room crying, and Shirou-chan walked in, and I yelled at him to go away, because I didn't want him to see me, but he came right over and sat down next to me, and took the scarf off my head, ran his fingers over my scalp, and said, 'you shouldn't feel bad about yourself. You're beautiful no matter what.' And then he kissed me." Hinamori's voice took on the dreamy-like quality it always got when she was talking about her precious Shirou-chan. In one sense, it gave Rukia some semblance of hope — hope that love really _did_ exist, even for people doomed to the eternal night. In another sense…it made her want to curl up in a corner and cry for what she had lost.

"What about you and Kurosaki-kun?" Hinamori's voice came closer as she walked back into the living room, taking her seat back on the couch. "I know you said you two never really…ya know, got together. But you said you loved him. When did you realize that?"

Rukia didn't answer for a moment. "As sad as it is," she said finally, "I didn't realize until about four letters later, when he still hadn't written me back. It hurt…it hurt so much, to think he didn't care about me enough to write to me…I thought he was just a friend, you see. He was the first real friend I ever had. So the things I felt…I didn't know they weren't things you _normally_ felt for a friend. Then I met you, and I realized I thought about you differently than I thought about him…and it still hurt more than I thought it should that he didn't care enough to write back…that was when I realized it."

Hinamori was quiet for a long time. "Wow." She whispered finally, and her voice was shaking. Rukia realized, a moment too late, that tears were forming in her eyes, and she raised her hand quickly to wipe them away.

"But it doesn't matter anymore, right? I mean, obviously he doesn't feel the same way. He couldn't even be bothered to write me _one_ letter. He doesn't care."

"He doesn't sound like that kind of person." Hinamori argued quietly. "I don't know Rukia-san, doesn't this whole thing just seem…somehow _wrong_ to you? Something tells me this isn't as black and white as it seems."

"It really is though." Rukia countered without feeling. "There's no grey area. He never wrote to me. He doesn't care. That's all there is to it."

Rukia, of course, didn't see the skeptical look that now ruled Hinamori's face.

_**11:02 p.m.**_

"You're doing it all wrong, boy. It's all about how you flick your wrist. You're too stiff."

Ichigo turned to look over his shoulder, surprised to see his father standing just a few feet behind him. "Watch a pro do it." Isshin walked over to Ichigo, sitting down and picking up one of the rocks from the pile that sat at his son's feet. He tested it's weight for a moment, then positioned it between his thumb and forefinger, his eyes narrowed. He moved his wrist back and forth for a moment, then launched the rock out of his grip, sending it skipping a total of six times over the glassy surface of the river before it sank to the bottom.

"Dad…what are you doing here?"

"I follow you just about every night." Isshin answered instantly, not sounding the least abashed. "Hate to think of you out here by yourself, all mopey and depressed. You're practically _asking_ to get beat up."

"I can take care of myself." Ichigo grumbled, looking away.

"Eight months ago I might have believed that." Isshin agreed. "But it seems when Rukia-chan left, she brought a big part of you with her. The part of you that has most of your spirit, from the looks of it."

Ichigo didn't bother to answer. He picked up another rock, throwing it out the water. It skipped two times before sinking. "For God's sake, your mother's rolling over in her grave." Isshin complained as he picked up another rock. "She's the one that taught you to do this, Ichigo, give her memory some honor why don't you?"

Isshin's second rock fell just short of his first one, skipping only five times before quitting. "So what do you think you get by coming out here?" Isshin asked after silence had ruled for a few minutes. "Does it make you feel closer to Rukia-chan? Make you feel like she's here?"

Ichigo didn't answer for a minute. "It's just easier than thinking it was all for nothing." He muttered finally as he picked up another rock and tossed it out. This one skipped four times.

"Not bad," Isshin said, sounding impressed. "What was all for nothing?"

"Those two months." Ichigo wasn't sure _why_ he was talking to his father. Maybe because Isshin was the first one who had offered him an ear. Maybe because he just _needed_ to talk, and Isshin was offering himself up to listen. "The two months we spent together. If I still come here, if I still go to the park, if I remember how _good_ those months were than maybe…I dunno, maybe I can pretend they meant as much as I think they did."

"If they hadn't meant a lot, than they wouldn't be effecting you the way they are." Isshin pointed out quietly.

"If they were so important, than why doesn't she care?" Ichigo was well aware by how much he sounded like a child, whining to his father. But he was past caring.

"I don't know." Isshin admitted. "You two were…you were close. I don't understand what went so wrong. Something about this just doesn't seem right to me. I feel like there's some other force at work here — something none of us have thought of."

"What else _is_ there to think of?" Ichigo demanded, annoyed. "She didn't write to me, she doesn't care. There are no other elements in that equation."

Ichigo turned his attention back to the water, missing the skeptic look that cross Isshin's face.

* * *

**Author's Note: **So _hard_ to write serious-Isshin…let me know how I did with that, would you? Anyways, next chapter is going to be mostly Byakuya-and-Hisana focused, but you'll get to see the one thing we're all dying for — Hisana tearing Byakuya apart. We'll also get to see — gasp — that Byakuya actually _does_ have a heart! So review please? Review=faster update. You _know_ you want a faster update… — Sam


	15. Misguided Actions With Good Intentions

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

**PLEASE READ BEFORE PROCEEDING:** At one point in this story you may want to have chapter 13 open somewhere because it refers back to the letters a lot, and if you don't remember exactly what they said (and considering _I_ needed the chapter open just to write this, I'm sure _you_ don't care enough to remember), you may be a little confused. Just so you know.

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_"If they were so important, than why doesn't she care?" Ichigo was well aware by how much he sounded like a child, whining to his father. But he was past caring._

_"I don't know." Isshin admitted. "You two were…you were close. I don't understand what went so wrong. Something about this just doesn't seem right to me. I feel like there's some other force at work here — something none of us have thought of."_

_"What else_ is _there to think of?" Ichigo demanded, annoyed. "She didn't write to me, she doesn't care. There are no other elements in that equation."_

_Ichigo turned his attention back to the water, missing the skeptic look that cross Isshin's face._

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day — XV**_

—_**:—:—Friday, March 6**__**th**__**, 2009 – 11:52 p.m.—:—:—**_

Byakuya sighed as a small _snap_ — which sounded deafening in the silence that filled the living room — echoed through the air, quickly accompanied by loud, aggravated groan. "Maybe if you stop pressing down so hard on the paper, you'll stop breaking your pencil." Byakuya suggested as Hisana grabbed the hand-held pencil sharpener from the table and once again began the task of sharpening her pencil.

"I'll take that into consideration." Hisana shot back sarcastically. Byakuya raised an eyebrow at the oldest of his two little sisters. Hisana's attitude towards him had become more and more surly as the months had passed — he could barely speak to her now without causing an argument. Byakuya wouldn't pretend to be ignorant — he knew Hisana was still upset about the move, knew she was still, even this far into the year, having trouble adjusting to her new school, knew she wished they were back in Karakura Town.

The reality was, none of them were happy in Tokyo. Byakuya was growing increasingly impatient with the way the owners of the firm were running things — his father had started the firm with a certain idea in mind for how it was run, after all, and these people were doing it all wrong — Hisana absolutely hated her school, and she wasn't a huge fan of the neighborhood they lived in, and Rukia…she was, perhaps, the unhappiest of them all.

"Why don't you use your laptop?" Byakuya suggested as Hisana tried to go back to writing in her notebook.

"I like writing it long-hand before I type it up."

"That just makes more work for you."

"Well that's _my_ problem, isn't it?" Hisana snapped. Byakuya took this as a hint and shut his mouth. He wasn't in the mood to start another argument.

The front door opened, distracting them both, and they looked up just in time see Rukia slip into the house. "Hey Rukia." Hisana's tone changed to upbeat at once. She was never short with Rukia. She reserved all her aggravation for Byakuya. "Your home early."

"Yeah, Momo-san is leaving with her parents in the morning, they're going to visit some family in Tamachi." Rukia muttered, rubbing her eyes. "I didn't feel like sitting down there by myself, so I left too."

"You never used to mind being out by yourself." Byakuya pointed out. This comment earned him a kick in the leg from Hisana.

"Yeah, well…" Rukia shrugged. "I'm tired anyways. I'm going to bed. Good night."

"Night Rukia."

Hisana waited until Rukia had disappeared upstairs to glare at Byakuya, though he wasn't quite sure why — it wasn't as if Rukia could _see_ her…

"Is there something you'd like to say, Hisana?"

"Or there's _plenty_ I would just _love_ to say, Nii-sama." Hisana said as she slammed her notebook shut and shoved everything into her bag, throwing it over her shoulder. "But it's too late for an argument and you know what? I'm tired too. So I'm just going to go to bed now. Good night."

She all but stormed to the stairs. "You know eventually you're going to have to stop blaming me for _everything_." Byakuya said, his temper momentarily getting the better of him. "If the world ends it won't be my fault."

Hisana stopped with he foot on the first step. Byakuya waited for the explosion…but it never came. Instead she sighed, her shoulders falling as if the fight had been drained out of her. "You see, that's where you're wrong. Because the world _has_ ended — at least for some people. And it _is_ your fault."

This time Byakuya decided feigning ignorance was the best way to go. "I don't know what you mean."

"Then take a look at your baby sister." Was Hisana's response. "Take a good long look at her, and see what this move did to her — what _you_ did to her. Good night Nii-sama."

She went upstairs without another word. Byakuya stared at the stairs until long after the sound of Hisana's bedroom door closing had echoed through the house. Then he stood up, heading towards his study. He slipped in, closing the door behind him and, for good measure, locking it. He turned on his desk lamp as he sat down, opening the bottom drawer and pulling out the manila envelope he'd hidden in the back. The envelope that contained the letters Rukia and Kurosaki Ichigo had written to each other over eight months prior. The letters that had mysteriously stopped at the same time — Rukia had stopped writing, and Kurosaki, it appeared, had given up as well. How strange that they had both stopped at the exact same time.

Byakuya pulled out the pile of envelopes. He'd never had the heart to destroy them, it just seemed wrong — maybe he'd known that one day he would get curious, and want to read the letters from the boy that appeared to have captivated his sister's heart.

He opened the first letter, surprised to see it was written in Braille. He remembered when Hisana had insisted on teaching _him_ the complicated series of dots that blind people used to read, remembered how infuriating it had been, and how he'd tried, several times, to give up, but Hisana never let him.

_He took the time to learn this just so he could write her a letter_, a voice in the back of Byakuya's head spoke up. He ignored the voice, touching his fingers to the page and trying to recall everything Hisana had taught him, so long ago.

It was, Byakuya decided as he read, a typical, awkward letter from a typical, awkward teenage boy. Clearly it was hard for him to figure out what to write, he even pointed that out himself at one point. But he kept trying.

What got Byakuya the most was the end. _. I miss you, and I miss the time we spent in the park, and I just…I miss it all. If it's possible, I want to see you. Soon._

_He missed her_, Byakuya thought as he set the letter aside. _But if that's the case, why did he stop writing?_

Compelled, he picked up the second letter and began reading. It started out much the same as the first one, though a little less awkward — he spoke to Rukia as if he had received a response to his first letter, telling her how he was doing, what he'd done so far with his vacation. But Byakuya found himself going back to read the paragraph about time._ You know how you're always saying time is non-existent?…It feels like time is just dragging by now, minute after minute, day after day. Nothing seems to be moving anymore. It went by much faster when you were here._

There was so much emotion in those last two sentences. It was as clear as if these letters had been hand-written, and the hand that wrote them had been shaking. Byakuya finished reading quickly and instantly picked up the third one. It took him three times of rereading the third paragraph of that one to fully absorb everything it said: _I __never__ want to forget you_…_I think about you every single second of every single day…all I can see in my mind is __you_…_it hurts so much_…

It wasn't even a conscious decision for Byakuya to pick up the fourth letter and begin reading.

_You know I'm the one to talk to, (I will listen), I wanna hear, the things you don't wanna say, let me hear it (I just wanna hear it)…That's a line from my song…it made me think of you…You knew you could talk to me…_lines and phrases jumped out at Byakuya, hitting him like bricks as he read. There was no sign at all that Kurosaki was getting tired of writing…he just wanted a response.

Byakuya's hands were shaking as he picked up the last letter and began reading.

_I guess you aren't interested anymore…I'll leave you alone…if I __do__ write anymore letters, I won't send them…I know they say time heals all wounds, but I think they're wrong…the wound you left in me is as big as ever_…_How insane will you think I am if I tell you I think I've fallen in love with you?_

Byakuya stopped reading, pulling his hand away from the paper as if it was a poisonous snake. But he could still feel the letters under his fingers as if he were touching. Love? Kurosaki thought he'd fallen in _love_…with Rukia?

_This isn't possible_, Byakuya thought as he carefully put his fingers down again and began reading. _I'm leaving this to you now, Rukia_…_I'll wait for you…I promise_…_I'm yours forever. Love Ichigo_.

Love.

…

Love.

Byakuya leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face with his hands. He knew what he had to do. The idea absolutely _terrified_ him, but he didn't have a choice. There was only one thing for him to do. It was something that would cost him his life, but that was just the chance he was going to have to take.

He had to tell Hisana.

—_**:—:—Saturday, March 7**__**th**__**, 2009 – 8:35 p.m.—:—:—**_

Hisana stared, in absolute horror, at the envelopes on the table in front of her. There were ten in total — five each from Rukia and Ichigo. Ten letters that had never made it to their rightful owners. Ten letters that — because they had never been received — had destroyed a life. Possibly — most likely — _two_ lives.

Hisana's horrified shock was quickly and smoothly replaced by boiling anger. "How…_could_…you?" She asked slowly, her voice barely concealing her fury. "How could you do this, Byakuya?"

"I—"

"Don't talk." Hisana snapped, shoving her chair back and jumping up. She was short, but when she was angry, she could be intimidating.

She was angry. She was intimidating.

"What in the _world_ were you thinking?" Hisana demanded, her voice slowly raising. "How could you do this to her, to him, to _them_?! What were you _thinking_?! Or _were_ you thinking?! Do you have any idea what you've done, Byakuya? Do you have any idea how _hurt_ she was when, day after day, she didn't get a _single_ letter from him?! Do you know how hurt she is even _now_? She thinks he doesn't _care_ about her, damn it! And all this time _you_…you've seen how upset she's been, and you've had these damn letters, and you never _gave_ them to her, you never let him know just how much he really _does_ care! How _could_ you? How could you be so…so…so damn _heartless_?!"

"I didn't want her to get hurt." Byakuya quickly interjected while Hisana stopped to take a deep breath. The raven-haired woman laughed bitterly.

"And we all see what a _wonderful_ job you've done of _that_, Byakuya. Bravo." She gave him a sarcastic round of applause. "All you've _done_ for the past _eight months _is hurt her Byakuya — no, even before that. You hurt her when you said you were taking her away from the one thing she cared about more than anything — from _him_."

Hisana began pacing the length of the kitchen, obviously agitated. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then, without warning, Hisana turned on Byakuya, slapping him as hard as she could across the face. Shock more than force sent Byakuya stumbling back. "I just don't _believe_ you! You couldn't acknowledge that maybe, just _maybe_ you were wrong about Kurosaki-kun, that he really _did_ care about Rukia. You couldn't acknowledge that she'd found someone to depend on other than the two of us! She was _happy_, so happy when she had him, and you had to go and take all that away because you wanted what was _best_ for her. You don't know a damn thing about her, Byakuya, you don't _know_ what's best!"

"I know plenty about her!" Byakuya snapped, annoyed now. He could acknowledge he'd made a mistake — Hisana didn't have to make him sound like he was an ogre though.

"Right. Byakuya you don't know a thing. What's her favorite flower, book, food, music, do you know _any_ of those things about her?"

"Lily, _Romeo and Juliet_, ramen, and whatever music sounds good to her." Byakuya recited the facts at once. Hisana blinked, shock temporarily replacing her anger. "I know _plenty_ about Rukia, Hisana. I know how easy it is to hurt her, how much she's suffered in the past. You'll have to excuse me if maybe I was trying to save her from that _now_. How was I supposed to know Kurosaki would _want_ to keep correspondence? How was _I_ supposed to know he wouldn't get bored and give it up?"

"It's called having _faith_ in people, Byakuya." Hisana said angrily. "I realize that's a foreign concept to you, but maybe you should have tried it before you just _decided_ what was best for everyone."

Hisana grabbed the letters, shoving them into Byakuya's hands. "_Fix this_, Byakuya. I don't care how, and I don't care if you can't do it without making Rukia hate you — that's no one's problem but your own. Maybe you should have thought about it before you ruined her life. But I know for damn sure _I'm_ not going to be the one to tell her what you've done."

And she stormed out, leaving a stunned Byakuya in her wake.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Erm…note to self — _never_ make Hisana mad -.- Anyways, so Byakuya's secret is out in the open, and next chapter we start off with Ichigo making what will probably be the most important decision of this entire story. What is it? Well…if you review, I'll update and let you know ;-) — Sam


	16. The Truth Of The Matter

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_Hisana grabbed the letters, shoving them into Byakuya's hands. "_Fix this, _Byakuya. I don't care how, and I don't care if you can't do it without making Rukia hate you — that's no one's problem but your own. Maybe you should have thought about it before you ruined her life. But I know for damn sure_ I'm _not going to be the one to tell her what you've done."_

_And she stormed out, leaving a stunned Byakuya in her wake._

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day — XVI**_

—_**:—:—Thursday, March 12**__**h**__**, 2009 – 5:34 p.m.—:—:—**_

"Hey Ichi-nii!" Yuzu called from the kitchen as Ichigo walked into the house. "A package came for you today, I left it on your bed."

"Thanks Yuzu." Ichigo called as he slipped off his shoes and started upstairs. There was only one person he wanted any kind of mail from. And there was no hope in his mind he was ever going to receive anything from _her_. He didn't care about whatever this package was.

Ichigo tossed his bag aside as he closed the door and went to pick up the large, thin package that was sitting on the bed. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the return address — _it was Rukia's address_. Before his mind had fully processed this information he was tearing the package open, pulling out a large, manila envelope. On top of the envelope was a single piece of paper, written in an elegant script Ichigo didn't recognize one bit. He picked this up first and began reading:

_Kurosaki Ichigo,_

_I won't make excuses for myself, and I won't walk around the truth. Last summer you wrote five letters to my sister, and she wrote five letters to you. I took the letters she wrote and the letters you sent and hid them all, ensuring that they never made it to their owner._

_Think of me what you will — I don't care. I did what I thought was right, and I don't regret it. Rukia has suffered through a lot in her life — more than any teenager should ever have to suffer. I had no idea what your intentions were with her — did not know if you would just decide one day you were bored and stop writing to her. I didn't want her to get hurt. I was trying to protect her. I don't know if you believe that, and again, I don't care. I know I'm telling the truth._

_I've recently been forced to face what I've done, and must admit that maybe I went about this the wrong way — if you listen to Hisana I certainly did. And so, Kurosaki Ichigo, I'm going to give you one chance. In the envelope are the five letters Rukia wrote to you. I have not read them and am unaware of what may be contained within them. I give them to you now, and am leaving the rest in your hands. Read them, if you wish, and decide what you want to do next. If you decide to ignore this or if you decide to take action, it does not matter to me. What happens from now on is up to you._

—_Kuchiki Byakuya_

Ichigo reread the letter once, twice, a third time…by the sixth time reading it, he was beginning to get angry. "Son of a _bitch_!" He shouted, jumping up and kicking his desk chair as hard as he could. He realized belatedly he was wearing nothing but socks, and yelling in surprise as he hopped backwards, falling onto his bed, Byakuya's letter slipping from his hands as he reached out to grab his injured foot. He seethed silently as he tried to figure out if anything was broken.

_That unbelievable _ass_…how could he do this? How could he _think_ those things? Damn it, damn it, damn _it_…_

His eyes drifted to the manila envelope sitting beside him. Rukia had been writing to him. For every letter he'd written, she'd written one as well. She hadn't forgotten him. She _did_ care about him. She'd written to him.

_She cared about him_.

"Ichigo?"

Isshin knocked on the teen's door as he opened it, looking a little concerned. "You all right son, I heard you yelling…what did you do?"

"It's not about what _I_ did." Ichigo growled, jerking his head at the letter on the floor. Isshin knelt down, picking up the letter, skimming it quickly. His eyes widened with each word he took in, and when he was done he looked up at Ichigo, shock and pity mingling in his expression.

"I'd say before you go and do something rash listen to what I have to say…" Isshin said slowly, his eyes drifting to the overturned desk chair, "but I'd say I'm already too late for that, so I'm just going to say what I need to say, then leave you to your letters. What Byakuya did…I don't agree with it, not for a minute. He's exactly like his father though — he'd do anything to protect his family. He did what he thought he had to so Rukia wouldn't get hurt. No matter how mad you are, you have to admire him for that."

Ichigo wasn't in the mood for reason. So he just glowered at Isshin, who quickly backed out, closing the door behind him and saying, "I'll tell your sisters not to bother you…" as he left.

As soon was Ichigo was alone, he grabbed the manila envelope, tearing out the five letters inside. He picked up the first one — dated just the day before he'd sent his first letter to her — and ripped it open, pulling the letter out. And he began reading.

—_**:—:—Friday, March 13**__**th**__**, 2009 – **__**7:56 p.m.**__** —:—:—**_

"How much longer do you plan on being mad at me?"

"Do you want an exact length of time?" Hisana asked sarcastically. "Tell me exactly why I _shouldn't_ be mad at you, Nii-sama. Give me _one_ good reason, and maybe I'll consider forgiving you. And I swear to God if you say, 'I did it for her own good,' I'm never speaking to you again."

_Which wouldn't be much of a difference from the last few days_, Byakuya reflected idly, but he bit his tongue. Antagonizing his sister was every form of a bad idea in one. "You don't have an answer? Didn't think so."

And with that she went back to her schoolwork. Byakuya sighed as he turned his head to look out the window at the rain still coming down in sheets. Rukia hadn't gone out — the rain had actually been enough to keep her inside. She was currently holed up in her room, not talking to either of her siblings.

"You have a right to be mad." He ceded finally, rubbing his eyes. Hisana looked up from her notebook, her eyes with a shock.

"I'm sorry, did you just admit that I was _right_?" She demanded in disbelief. "Well jeez, somebody call the media. Kuchiki Byakuya just admitted that someone else besides _himself_ was right."

Byakuya gritted his teeth together. He _could_ admit when he'd made a mistake — sometimes. But with Hisana's attitude, was it any surprise when he tried not to? "Listen Hisana—"

"_No_." Hisana said firmly. "No, okay? I'm _tired_ of listening to you. All my life all I've done is listen to you, and believe you just wanted what was best for your family, I've _trusted_ you. So yes, yes I'm going to be mad at you. You went behind mine and Rukia's backs, and you did something that completely _destroyed_ her. You'll have to excuse me if I don't take that lightly. Now leave me alone, I have work to do."

She went back to her work again. Byakuya knew better than to interrupt. He turned his attention to the window once more, going back and forth in his mind about whether or not he wanted to tell Hisana that he'd sent all of Rukia's letters to Ichigo, along with a note of explanation. It seemed like a good idea — and the best way to get Hisana to maybe consider forgiving him. Except…

Byakuya wanted to see how this one played out before he told anyone what he'd done.

Neither of the older Kuchikis noticed their sister sitting on the stairs, listening to every word they said.

_"You went behind mine and Rukia's backs, and you did something that completely _destroyed_ her."_

What in the world was Hisana talking about? Obviously Byakuya had screwed up — and pretty badly too, if the argument they'd just had was any indication. Except Hisana _never_ got mad. Especially not _that_ mad. It worried Rukia.

_"You went behind mine and Rukia's backs…"_

Suddenly it felt too warm and too cramped to still be sitting there. Rukia jumped barely paying attention as she made her way silently down the stairs, undetected by either of her siblings. She stopped long enough to slip her shoes on, then pulled the door open just enough to slide through without opening it all the way.

Rukia was soaked before she got off the porch. She half considered going back in and getting a jacket, but that was risking getting caught. She knew Hisana, at least, would yell at her for trying to go out in the pouring rain.

But suddenly, Rukia didn't want to be in the house.

So instead, she started walking.

_**9:34 p.m.**_

Ichigo shoved his hands into his pockets, his fingers curling around the soaked, unreadable piece of paper. Not that it mattered. It wasn't like he didn't already have the words written on it memorized.

_"Here." Rukia kept her face carefully blank as she handed over a piece of paper. "Hisana wrote it down for you…it's our new address. You know, in case you ever want to visit, or something."_

_Ichigo looked down at the piece of paper, written in Hisana's elegant script. "Thanks." He said, folding and pocketing it. "I'll keep it in mind."_

Now the tiny piece of paper was soaked, the ink running together, making it completely incomprehensible. Ichigo had known, the second he'd stepped off the train in Tokyo, had seen that it was raining, that the paper was going to be useless.

It wasn't like he didn't know the address by heart though.

"Perfect," Ichigo grumbled as the wind roared to life around him. Between the fact that he was walking in a poorly lit-neighborhood at night and the rain, he felt as if he was trapped in a bad horror movie.

Then again, he'd basically felt that way since Rukia had left.

_Aha!_ Ichigo almost wanted to cry when he finally found the mailbox with the correct number on it. He looked up at the small, square-like house that loomed over him. There was only one light, in the living room. At least _someone_ was still awake.

Part of Ichigo hoped it was Byakuya. Oh what he would have given to punch the man in the face…

_Knock-Knock_

Ichigo had barely stepped back from the door when it flew open, and he was met with a surprisingly upset-looking Kuchiki Hisana. The look on her face morphed dramatically when she saw the orange-haired teen standing on her doorstep.

"K…Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo tried to smile; it felt more like a grimace. "Er…Hi, Kuchiki-san."

Hisana didn't seem to know what to say. Ichigo shifted his eyes a bit when he saw someone move behind Hisana; his face hardened when he saw Byakuya.

"W…What are you doing here? I mean…I mean…_what_?" Hisana shook her head, rubbing her eyes. "What's going on? How did you get here? _Why_ are you here?"

"I took the train." Ichigo said simply. "As for _why_ I'm here…why don't you ask your brother?"

He couldn't stop the anger that entered his voice as he jerked his head at Byakuya, who stared back stonily. Hisana instantly turned to him, confusion alight in her violet eyes.

"Nii-sama?"

Byakuya chose to look at the ceiling as he answered. "I sent Rukia's letters to him, along with a letter of my own, explaining what I had done. You told me to fix it, after all — it seemed like the simplest choice."

Hisana gaped at Byakuya for a moment. In the time it took to blink, she'd turned and thrown her arms around his neck, holding him tightly. "You are _such_ an idiot sometimes." She whispered, burying her face in his shoulder. Byakuya patted her back awkwardly, looking down at the top of her head.

"Will you stop hating me now?"

Hisana laughed a bit as she pulled away, rubbing her eyes. "Kurosaki-kun come in, you're going to catch pneumonia standing out there…hang on, I'll go grab you a towel…and see if I can get Rukia out of her room, she's sulking because it's raining and she couldn't go out…"

And with that, she hurried upstairs. Byakuya turned to Ichigo, who responded by narrowing his eyes and looking away.

"Why did you come?"

What a stupid question. Ichigo had to struggle to keep his tone even as he answered. "After what _you_ did, she probably hates me. I figured talking to her in person would be the best thing."

Ichigo didn't notice the brief look of approval that flashed across Byakuya's face.

Hisana took a deep breath, staring at Rukia's partially closed bedroom door. She was surprised her younger sister hadn't already told her to come in; maybe she'd fallen asleep…

_What am I supposed to say to her? Should I tell her Kurosaki-kun is here? Should I tell her what Nii-sama did?_

_"_Fix this, _Byakuya. I don't care how, and I don't care if you can't do it without making Rukia hate you…"_

That had been a lie. Hisana didn't want Rukia to hate Byakuya — they _were_ family, after all. Sure, she herself had been at the oldest Kuchiki for days — months, really — but no matter how many bad decisions he'd made, Hisana had _never_ hated him.

This wasn't just about a bad decision. This was about Byakuya lying to Rukia, basically ruining her entire life. That wasn't something the raven-haired teen was going to forgive easily. And while Hisana didn't blame her…she still didn't want her to hate Byakuya.

_I don't know what to say to her,_ Hisana sighed silently. _Will she even come downstairs if I say Kurosaki-kun is there? Will she be mad at him? She can't blame him for this, it's not his fault…maybe I should make Nii-sama come up here and talk to her, this _is_ all his fault after all…nah, he'd probably just screw it up. Argh…fine, I'll just tell her to come downstairs because there's someone here to see her. She'll probably think it's Hinamori-san or something. Yeah, that works_…

Hisana pushed the door open. "Rukia, there's…"

Her voice drifted off as an empty bed greeted her. "Rukia?" She looked around, flicking on the bedroom light just for good measure. The room looked the same as always; books and clothes and CDs thrown all around (how Rukia managed to get around without killing herself was beyond Hisana).

It was completely empty.

"Rukia?" Hisana called, a little more loudly, turning and going to her own bedroom. Rukia liked her bed, she said it was more comfortable, maybe she was in there reading…

But Hisana's room was empty too.

_She wasn't downstairs, I would have seen her…and she would have heard Kurosaki-kun's voice if she'd been down there…_ Hisana literally felt the color drain from her face as a new thought occurred to her. _Oh no…_tell_ me she didn't do what I think she did_…

Hisana bolted downstairs, taking the steps two at a time, skidding to a halt in the kitchen and hurriedly flicking the light on. Rukia's shoes were gone.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Aw come on…you didn't _really_ think I was just going to let them have a reunion, did you? Wait, you did? … What, are you new around here? Um…anyways. So last chapter somebody asked me why reviews make me update faster. Answer: seeing people compliment my writing makes me feel good about myself (quite an accomplishment), so it makes me want to write more. I have a tiny ego that constantly needs feeding, ha-ha. I know, I'm bad. Anyways…review? Please? — Sam


	17. Against The Sunrise

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_Hisana pushed the door open. "Rukia, there's…"_

_Her voice drifted off as an empty bed greeted her. "Rukia?" She looked around, flicking on the bedroom light just for good measure. The room looked the same as always; books and clothes and CDs thrown all around (how Rukia managed to get around without killing herself was beyond Hisana)._

_It was completely empty._

_"Rukia?" Hisana called, a little more loudly, turning and going to her own bedroom. Rukia liked her bed, she said it was more comfortable, maybe she was in there reading…_

_But Hisana's room was empty too._

She wasn't downstairs, I would have seen her…and she would have heard Kurosaki-kun's voice if she'd been down there… Hisana literally felt the color drain from her face as a new thought occurred to her. Oh no…_tell _me she didn't do what I think she did…

_Hisana bolted downstairs, taking the steps two at a time, skidding to a halt in the kitchen and hurriedly flicking the light on. Rukia's shoes were gone._

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day — XVII**_

—_**:—:—Friday, March 13**__**th**__**, 2009 – **__**10:06 p.m.**__** —:—:—**_

Ichigo pulled his coat tightly over his soaking wet body, cursing under his breath. He'd been searching for half an hour, to absolutely no prevail. He hadn't found even the slightest trace of Rukia. And he was ready to bet, due the silent cell-phone in his pocket (on loan from Hisana) that Byakuya wasn't having much luck either.

"Damn it," Ichigo swore. Tokyo was a big place, sure, but Rukia was blind; how far away could she have _possibly_ wandered? He looked down at his watch. He had roughly seven and half to eight hours before the sun rose. If he didn't find Rukia by then…

_No!_ Ichigo shook his head angrily. He would _not_ think about that. He needed to stay optimistic. No matter how much of a foreign concept that was. He _had_ to believe he would find Rukia before the sun rose.

The alternative was too unbearable to think about.

_**10:10 p.m.**_

"No, that's fine. Thank you Hinamori-san. I'll call if she turns up." Hisana sighed as she hung up the phone, pushing back the tears that threatened to surface. What time had Rukia even disappeared? She didn't know.

_Ring-Ring_…

Hisana grabbed the phone before she'd even fully registered that it was ringing. "Hello?" _Please, please, please be Nii-sama_…

"_Anything?_" Well it _was_ Byakuya. He just wasn't calling for the reason Hisana hoped he would be.

"No," Hisana had to struggle to keep her voice under control. "Hinamori-san said she hasn't seen her since yesterday. I called all the neighbors, nobody saw her leave, and nobody has seen her wandering around."

Silence answered Hisana's words.

_Bang!_

Hisana jumped a mile as the loud noise travelled over the phone-line. "What was _that_?" She demanded, panicking a little.

"_Nothing_," Byakuya muttered. Hisana suddenly had a very bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"You're not going to come home with a broken hand, are you?"

"_I don't think a steering wheel is really capable of breaking my hand_," Byakuya promised. "_I'm going to hang up, it's hard to drive in this and talk on a phone at the same time. Call me if you find anything._"

"Yeah, you too. Be careful." Hisana resisted the urge to throw the phone across the room, instead setting it back on its cradle and drawing in a deep, shuddery breath. She felt so _useless_, sitting there, while Byakuya and Ichigo were out looking. But they'd both told her to stay there, in case Rukia came to her senses and came home.

Hisana didn't see that happening any time soon, though.

_Oh Rukia_, Hisana rubbed her eyes tiredly. She was torn between so many emotions. Worry being the most prominent, of course, but anger too. Towards Rukia for being so stupid and running out, and Byakuya for being an idiot and _starting_ this entire mess. If he'd just been more trusting of Ichigo…

_Just let one of them find you, Rukia. Please…please come home safely_.

_**Time Unknown**_

Rukia jumped a bit as yet another car sped past her, sending another wave of freezing cold water splashing over her already soaked ankles. She wasn't quite sure where she was anymore; she could tell, just from the sound of the traffic, that she definitely wasn't in her own neighborhood. She was probably wandering out towards the city now. She didn't know how she was going to get home, or how close it was to sunrise. It had been after nine when she'd left. Surely she hadn't been wandering around for _that_ long…

_What do you care?_ A voice spoke up in the back of her head. _You don't care about time, remember?_

That was true. Time had _always_ been an illusion in Rukia's world. It seemed strange that she would start worrying about it now, when she had already given up on everything else.

_"You went behind mine and Rukia's backs, and you did something that completely _destroyed_ her."_

Rukia raised her face to the sky, barely flinching when the pellets of water began ramming against her face, getting in her eyes. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't figure it out. What had Hisana and Byakuya been arguing about? What had her brother done that had been so absolutely terrible that _Hisana_, of all people, was angry at him for it? What was going on? Rukia hated not knowing. She hated that her siblings were keeping secrets from her.

She hated knowing there were yet _two more_ people in her world that she couldn't trust.

_**11:10 p.m.**_

_"Watch out, Ichigo!"_

_A pair of hands grabbed his shoulders, shoving him away…the sound of breaks squealing, tires screeching against wet pavement filled the air…the sickening _thud_ of metal against a body…_

_"Mom!"_

Ichigo's eyes snapped open, his breath escaping in a long, pained huff. He was standing in the middle of the sidewalk, rain still beating down on him.

_Damn it, what are you doing?_ A voice in the back of his head berated him angrily. _You don't have time to be sitting around getting lost in memories, you're supposed to be looking for Rukia!_

Ichigo clenched his fists as he continued down the sidewalk, trying to squint through the rain to see up ahead. But the water was coming down in sheets; visibility completely sucked.

_I don't even know if I'm going in the right direction_, Ichigo thought bitterly as he ducked his head against the wind that roared to life. He and Byakuya had split up at the house, Byakuya going one way, Ichigo going another. Maybe it was _Byakuya_ that had gone in the right direction, maybe _he_ would find Rukia…

Or what if Ichigo had taken a wrong turn somewhere? He'd come to many splits in the roads, always choosing to go right, the way that _wouldn't_ take him across the street, because surely Rukia wouldn't want to try crossing the street. But what if he was wrong? What she _had_? What if he'd made a mistake somewhere?

"_Damn it_!" Ichigo kicked a soda can in the middle of the sidewalk, sending it flying away from him. It was after eleven. He had six or seven hours before sunrise. And he didn't know if he was even _slightly_ close to finding Rukia.

But that wasn't any reason to give up. Ichigo kept walking, a man on a mission. He _would _find Rukia. Even if it was the last thing he did.

_**11:32 p.m.**_

Byakuya gripped the steering wheel tightly as he made his way slowly down the street, his eyes dodging left and right. It was raining, and it was late; the sidewalks were empty, of course.

Byakuya hated that the sidewalks were empty.

_Way to go_, a voice in the back of his head piped up. _See what you've done? This wouldn't have happened if you'd just given Rukia those damn letters right from the very beginning. All you've done this entire time is hurt her, and now it's come to this. If anything happens to her, it's your fault_.

Like Byakuya didn't already know that.

Byakuya shifted his eyes to the radio clock for half a second. It was just after eleven-thirty. According to Hisana, sunrise was between five and six o'clock. If Tokyo weren't so big, maybe that would have left Byakuya with plenty of time to look. But as it stood now…

_You're not the only one looking. Kurosaki is out looking to. One of you is bound to get lucky at some point_.

If only Byakuya could be that optimistic.

_If anything happens to Rukia, Hisana really _will_ never forgive me_, he reflected bitterly. If anything happened to Rukia, he would never forgive _himself_.

_Come on Rukia…where are you?_

_**11:54 p.m.**_

Ichigo really had to stop looking at his watch. It was going to drive him insane.

_Quit telling yourself how much time you have left_, he ordered himself firmly. _Channel Rukia's mindset for a minute. Pretend your entire word _isn't_ going to come crashing down on you in roughly five hours. Pretend time doesn't matter. It's just an illusion that normal people are slaves to. Time doesn't matter. Now stop looking at your watch, and just keep walking_.

That was easier said than done. The reminder of time, and how close it would soon be to sunrise, was a big part of what was motivating Ichigo to keep moving. The reminder that in five hours, Rukia was going to out in the daytime, completely exposed…the idea of what that exposure would _do_ to her…

_No_, Ichigo shook his head firmly. _Nothing is going to happen to her. She is _not_ allowed to die. I won't let her_.

He _couldn't _let her. Not without explaining everything to her first. Not without telling her how he felt about her. She _needed_ to live.

Ichigo couldn't let it be any other way.

_**Time Unknown**_

Rukia's legs shook a bit as she collapsed onto the edge of the sidewalk, wrapping her arms tightly around her knees, the back of her feet resting against the curb. She was freezing, she had no clue where she was, or how much time she had before the sun rose. She wondered if Hisana and Byakuya had noticed she was gone. Were they looking for her? Would they find her?

Did Rukia _want_ them to find her?

That was, she supposed, the million dollar question. The idea of going back to the life she'd been living since she'd left Karakura — the same, monotonous thing every single day, pretending to be invested in her life when really she didn't care about anything…the very idea of it was enough to make Rukia cry. She didn't _want_ her life to keep going like that. She hated it. She wanted things to be like they had before. With Ichigo. She _wanted_ to have a reason to live.

Except the one reason she thought she'd had hadn't really cared, in the end.

_I don't think I want to do this anymore_.

"Rukia-san!"

Rukia jumped a mile as someone yelled her name. At the same time, the rain that had been pounding down on her disappeared; someone had placed an umbrella over her head. "What are you _doing_?" Hinamori demanded angrily, her voice almost right in Rukia's ear. She'd knelt down next to the raven-haired girl. "Do you have _any_ idea how far from home you are, your brother and sister are worried sick! What were you thinking?!"

"M-Momo-san…" Rukia stuttered out, unable to think of anything else to say. "What are you…doing?"

"Looking for you of course!" Hinamori exclaimed, as if Rukia had just asked the most ridiculous question. "Your sister called to ask if I'd seen you, as soon as I grabbed and umbrella and came out to look for you! Have you lost your mind, your sense of direction sucks in the rain, how were you planning on getting home, exactly?!"

"Momo-san stop yelling…"

"No, I won't!" This was the angriest Rukia had _ever_ heard Hinamori. It was definitely strange. "And if you think _I'm_ yelling, wait until your siblings get their hands on you, they're going to _kill_ you! Do you even _know_ what time it is?!"

"No," Rukia replied flatly. "Not that I completely care either."

"It's after two in the morning, the sun is going to be rising in a couple of hours, you'd _better_ care! Are you _trying_ to kill yourself?!" Rukia didn't answer. Silence fell between the two friends. "R…Rukia-san?" Hinamori's voice suddenly sounded meek, concerned. "You…_weren't_ trying to…were you?" And still, she didn't answer. She wasn't completely sure _how_ to answer. "Rukia-san…"

Hinamori's voice drifted off into a horrified silence. For a moment neither of them spoke.

"Rukia?"

Rukia cringed as someone new joined them. The voice — low and gruff and surprisingly tentative — was a familiar one. One that sent a shockwave through Rukia's entire body. It couldn't be…

_Ichigo?_

—_**:—:—Saturday, March 14**__**th**__**, 2009 –2**__**:14 a.m.**__** —:—:—**_

Ichigo's promise not to look at his watch again had already been broken about twenty times. He just _couldn't_ stop reminding himself that time was running out.

_I'm not going to find her_, part of his mind was already breaking down. _I'm going to be too late. She's going to die_.

No. He couldn't believe that yet. He _had_ to keep looking. He wasn't going to give up. Not yet. Not ever.

He couldn't _afford_ to give up. Rukia was waiting for him to find her. He wouldn't let her down.

The muffled sound of yelling drifted down the street, reaching Ichigo's ears, and he made a face. Who in the world was out at _this_ time of night, and why the hell were they _yelling_?

Ichigo sped up to a jog, running towards the yelling voice, curiosity getting the better of him. He was going in that direction anyways, there was no harm in checking things out…

The voice became more coherent as Ichigo approached, and he began making out what was being said.

"It's after two in the morning, the sun is going to be rising in a couple of hours, you'd _better_ care! Are you _trying_ to kill yourself?!" Silence, presumably as the yeller waited for an answer. "R…Rukia-san?"

Ichigo froze, his eyes widening. _Rukia…?_ Was it possible?

Ichigo moved forward on numb legs, and after a moment to figures, crouched down on the sidewalk, came in to view. One was a brown-haired girl in a black jacket, holding an umbrella. And the other one was…

_Rukia_…

Ichigo felt as if someone had grabbed his lungs, squeezing all the air out of them. For a minute he forgot how to breathe.

"You…_weren't_ trying to…were you?" The brown-haired girl was speaking again. Rukia didn't say anything. "Rukia-san…"

Ichigo just stared at both of them, his hands trembling. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe he'd _found_ her. She was _there_. Soaked to the bone, shivering, and pale as a ghost, wearing nothing but a pants, shoes, and a t-shirt, but _there_ nonetheless. She was safe.

She was _alive_.

"Rukia?"

Ichigo couldn't remember making the decision to speak. But her name tumbled off his lips like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Both girls jumped, surprised, and Rukia's eyes widened in recognition of his voice. The brown-haired girl twisted around to look at Ichigo, her eyes narrowing suspiciously.

"Who are you?" She demanded at once. Ichigo barely heard her. He shifted his eyes to focus on Rukia; she was still facing the street, as if not daring to turn in the direction of his voice.

_She still doesn't know_, realization hit Ichigo like a ton of bricks. _She doesn't know what her brother did. She thinks…she _really_ thinks that I just never bothered to write to her, that I forgot about her…_

For a moment no one spoke. The brown-haired girl looked between Ichigo and Rukia, then up at the sky, as if hoping the answer would come down with the rain.

"What are you doing here?"

Rukia, surprisingly, was the one who broke the silence. Ichigo cringed, wondering exactly how he was supposed to answer that.

"I'm here to bring you home. Of course." It was the simplest answer he could come up with. Rukia snorted.

"I didn't mean _here_, here Ichigo. I meant here in Tokyo." The brown-haired girl's head whipped around to look at Ichigo, her eyes widening.

"_You're_…ow!" She jumped a mile as Rukia hit her — rather hard — in the back. "That really wasn't necessary, Rukia-san."

Ichigo hesitated for a minute, unsure of how to answer. He didn't want to be the one to tell Rukia what her brother had done. No matter how angry _he_ was at Byakuya, Ichigo was _not_ going to be responsible for Rukia hating Byakuya.

So instead of answering, Ichigo just stepped forward, unzipping his jacket and pulling it off. And, though it was soaking wet and would hardly do any good, he placed the jacket over Rukia. She jumped, turning to face him at last; amber eyes might violet, and for a moment Ichigo was sure he would lose himself. He knelt down so he was level with her, reaching a hand out and resting it over her cheek. She jumped under his touch, but didn't try to pull away, at least.

"I'm sorry."

It was all he could think to say. No, _he_ didn't have anything to apologize for. But somehow, someway, he still felt as if this entire thing was his fault.

"Rukia-san," Ichigo jumped as the other girl spoke. He'd almost forgotten that she was there. "Please…just let him take you home."

Ichigo looked at her, then back at Rukia, who had turned away from everyone now. _Just give me a chance_, he begged silently. _Let me set all this right. Please._

He could do it. As long as Rukia was willing to let him back in, to listen…he could rebuild what they'd had. He could be a part of her life again.

If she would let him.

* * *

**Author's Note:** And _this_ is where I leave you. Imagine me grinning evilly. Once more, sorry for the long delay. Last month of school, I've had all kinds of papers and projects and quizzes and homework…it's just been crazy. I finished my last paper of the entire semester last night, though, so I took the liberty of sitting down and writing today. Man did it feel nice. Anyways, review and let me know what you think, and with any luck the next chapter will be quicker than this one =/ — Sam


	18. Falling Into Place

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_"I'm sorry."_

_It was all he could think to say. No,_ he_ didn't have anything to apologize for. But somehow, someway, he still felt as if this entire thing was his fault._

_"Rukia-san," Ichigo jumped as the other girl spoke. He'd almost forgotten that she was there. "Please…just let him take you home."_

_Ichigo looked at her, then back at Rukia, who had turned away from everyone now_. Just give me a chance, _he begged silently._ Let me set all this right. Please.

_He could do it. As long as Rukia was willing to let him back in, to listen…he could rebuild what they'd had. He could be a part of her life again._

_If she would let him._

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day — XVIII**_

—_**:—:—Saturday, March 14**__**th**__**, 2009 –8**__**:30 a.m.**__** —:—:—**_

Ichigo sighed as he reached out, touching his hand to Rukia's cheek. She looked so…_peaceful_ when she was sleeping. It was a peace Ichigo knew she didn't find when she was awake. He wished there was a way he could help her with that.

Rukia, after surprisingly little coaxing, had allowed Ichigo and Hinamori to drag her home. Ichigo was grateful for Hinamori; he was quite sure without her, he never would have found his way back to Rukia's house.

After nearly ten minutes of listening to Hisana alternate between crying and yelling, Rukia had muttered something about tired and disappeared into her room, closing and locking the door behind her. Ichigo had waited an hour and then, at Hisana's request, pick-locked his way into the room, only to find Rukia curled up in her bed, fast asleep.

"Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo turned to look over his shoulder at Hisana, who was standing in the door. "She's not going to wake up for awhile, she sleeps like a rock. Why don't you come down and have something to eat?"

"I'm not hungry," Ichigo muttered, turning away again. It was utterly, utterly irrational, the idea of being _scared_ to leave Rukia alone — she wasn't exactly in any position to go anywhere, not now that the sun was shining — but he still didn't want to. Now that he had seen her again, now that she was right in front of him, where he could just a reach a hand out, run it over her soft skin, through her silky hair…he didn't want to leave her again.

"Does your family know you're here?" Hisana asked suddenly.

"I told my dad." Ichigo replied shortly. "I'm sure he told my sisters."

Silence fell over the two for a moment. "She really missed you," Hisana said finally, her voice low. "She never said anything, of course, and once she stopped writing letters she wouldn't even say your _name_ anymore…but we would've had to be completely oblivious not to see how much it was hurting her to be away from you."

"It _hurt_ because she thought I didn't _care_," Ichigo's voice hardened as he clenched his hands into fists. "She thought I just went and moved on and didn't give her a second thought, didn't even bother to _try_ and stay in touch—"

"I know," Hisana interrupted him gently. "Trust me, I know…I'm angry at him too. But that anger isn't going to help you right now, Kurosaki-kun. Unfortunately, what's done is done. Now we have to figure out how to fix it."

She started to leave, pausing at the door and looking over her shoulder. "Don't tell her anything about what Nii-sama did. That's up to him and him alone."

Ichigo would admit, he was happy not to have _that_ burden on his shoulders. That didn't help him with figuring out what he was going to say to Rukia when she woke up though…

_**Time Unknown**_

Rukia sighed as consciousness began to reassert itself. Last night felt so far away…like it had been a dream. The presence of Ichigo in the entire scenario just kind of solidified the dream theory. What other reason was there for him to have been there?

_What a weird dream_, she thought as she rolled over, curling up into a tight ball under her covers. As weird as it had been though, she wanted to go back to it. To go back to Ichigo.

_Why would you want to go to someone who doesn't care about you?_ A voice in the back of her head demanded. Rukia cringed. She didn't want to think about it like that. _Welcome to reality_.

"I know you're awake," a voice spoke up suddenly, interrupting Rukia's thoughts. "Come on, we need to talk."

Perfect. Rukia sighed again as she sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Good morning to you too, Nii-sama," she murmured, not bothering to turn in the direction of his voice. "Is something wrong?"

She hadn't missed the slightly worried note in his otherwise toneless voice. Since when did Byakuya worry about _anything_? "First of all, it only seems fair to warn you that Hisana is going to kill you for the stunt you pulled last night." Rukia's eyes widened.

"What?"

"You didn't really think you were going to get away scot-free, did you?" Apparently he'd misinterpreted her shock. "It shouldn't really surprise you that's she's not happy."

"I…I…" It…_hadn't_ been a dream? Then… "Ichigo—"

"He's downstairs." Byakuya's voice softened just a bit. "I wanted to talk to you alone."

Rukia barely heard what Byakuya said after _he's downstairs_. Ichigo was _there_. He'd come to Tokyo. He'd come to _her_.

_He's here_…

"Rukia?" She jumped as Byakuya's voice once again brought her back to reality. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," she muttered, looking away and rubbing her eyes. "Sorry. You said you wanted to talk about something?"

Silence followed her words. "Yes," Byakuya finally responded, sounding a little hesitant. "There's…something you should know, before you talk to Kurosaki."

Rukia narrowed her eyes, confused. Something she should know? Did this have anything to do with why Hisana was suddenly so angry at Byakuya? And exactly what did Ichigo have to do with _anything_?

_You mean _besides_ the fact that he's practically your entire world?_ A voice in the back of her head demanded. She dutifully ignored it, waiting for her brother to continue with what he had been saying.

Byakuya sighed silently as he looked at Rukia, who was watching with him confused, curious eyes. He'd known, of course, that _he _was going to have to be the one to tell what Rukia what he'd done — it wouldn't have been fair to saddle Hisana or Kurosaki with the responsibility. That didn't mean he was happy with it though. He'd never been good with words, not when it came to personal situations. He had no clue what to say.

"The…letters you wrote last summer," he finally settled for saying, "the ones you wrote to Kurosaki. Do you remember them?" It was such a stupid question. The look of pain that flashed across Rukia's face answered Byakuya's words before she'd even started to nod her head. "You gave them to me to send—"

"You said you would," Rukia interrupted, sounding as if she were defending herself. "I didn't even ask you to, you offered."

"I know," Byakuya responded quietly. "I offered for a reason, Rukia. I never sent the letters." He paused as he watched the color drain slowly from his sister's already naturally pale face. "I took them, and I hid them in my desk. I did the same thing with the letters Kurosaki sent to you."

The silence that followed his confession was a heavy one. "He…he wrote to me?" Rukia finally asked, her voice cracking. "What do you mean you _hid_ them?!"

Byakuya sighed as he reached a hand out to Rukia; she jerked away the second his fingers brushed against her hair, scrambling back and jumping up, putting the bed between herself and her brother. "Rukia—"

"No," her voice shook a bit as she spoke. She swallowed, trying to steady herself before speaking. "I don't want…just tell me the truth, Nii-sama. That's all I want right now. Tell me the _truth_."

Byakuya sighed. Silence ruled for only a few moments before he spoke again. "I took the letters you wrote and I took the letters Kurosaki sent, and I hid all of them. He never knew you wrote anything to him. He wrote to you for almost three months before he finally realized he wasn't going to get anything in return — he gave up about the same time you did."

Byakuya's words bounced around in Rukia's head, echoing in her ears. She couldn't believe it. She didn't _want_ to believe it — didn't want to believe that her brother, no matter _how_ cold he was, was capable of effectively and completely ruining her life…

But what was she _supposed_ to believe? He was sitting there _confessing _to her…

"Get out."

The two whispered words slipped out of Rukia's mouth before she was even aware of thinking them. But as she said them, she realized that was what she wanted.

"Rukia…"

"Just get out," she said again, her voice gaining a little strength. "Get out of my room. Now."

She mustered the best glare she could, throwing it in her brother's general direction. After a moment footsteps alerted her to the fact that Byakuya was leaving.

"I'm sorry," she heard him murmur just as the door closed. Rukia bit her lip, clenching her fists as she felt the tears begin to well in her eyes.

_"I took the letters you wrote and I took the letters Kurosaki sent…He never knew you wrote anything to him…He wrote to you for almost three months…"_

She didn't even bother going back to her bed; instead she leaned back against the wall, sliding down, and pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms tightly around her legs.

_He wrote to me…he wrote me letters, he _tried_ to stay in contact with me…and he never knew that I tried too. He never knew I wrote to him. He thought _I'd_ forgotten about _him_. He doesn't know…_

These thoughts haunted Rukia as she buried her face in her knees, giving in to tears at long last.

_**10:23 a.m.**_

Ichigo looked up as Byakuya walked slowly down the stairs. From the look on the man's face, it was obvious speaking with Rukia hadn't gone well. Hisana looked up at her brother as well, frowning when she saw his expression.

"Bad?"

He didn't spare either of his spectators a glance, instead going straight into the living room, walking into the office, and closing the door behind him. Hisana and Ichigo exchanged concerned looks. "Why don't you talk to Rukia?" The former suggested lightly as she stood up, walking around the table and heading for the living room as well. "I'm gonna talk to Mr. Grumpy."

Ichigo waited until Hisana had disappeared into Byakuya's office before standing as well, heading for the stairs. He still wasn't sure what he was going to say to her. But he had to at least _try_…

He was surprised, when he opened the door and slipped into Rukia's room, to find her curled up against the wall near her window, her face buried in her knees, her shoulders shaking slightly, as if she were crying.

"Go away."

Her voice was surprisingly strong. Ichigo cringed, taking a step back. Clearly she didn't want to talk…

But that didn't mean he was going to leave, either. "Rukia?"

Her head snapped up, surprise visible in her eyes, and Ichigo could see the tears still running down her face. "Ichigo…" Her face crumpled when she saw his name, and she turned away instantly, facing the floor instead. Ichigo sighed as he walked over to her, kneeling down next to her and resting a hand on her shoulder. She jumped a little at the initial contact, but relaxed almost instantly under his touch.

The silence that wrapped around them was surprisingly comfortable, considering the circumstances. Apparently months of separation hadn't changed either of them in that aspect; they could still be together without speaking, and be perfectly okay with it. It had never failed to amaze Ichigo how easy it was for them to be together.

"Are you okay?" He asked finally. It was such a stupid question, he knew, but as comfortable as the silence was, they _needed_ to talk.

Rukia didn't answer, but the look on her face was more than enough. She swallowed hard, closing her eyes, and Ichigo saw a couple of tears slip past her tightly squeezed eyelids. Trying to ignore the pain in his chest that accompanied the sight of her crying, he reached out, wrapping both his arms around her and pulling her tiny body tightly against his chest. He was surprised she didn't fight, but pleased as well. She rested her head against his shoulder, both her arms somehow finding their way around him as well.

"I missed you," she whispered, her voice trembling so much, Ichigo was surprised she managed to get the words out at all. He sighed as he reached one hand up, running it comfortingly through her hair.

"I missed you too," he responded quietly, tightening his arms around her just a little. He didn't want to let go.

No more words were said then; there would be, Ichigo decided, plenty of time to talk later.

Right now, all either of them really needed was to be with the other.

That was enough.

* * *

**Author's Note: **So…yeah. Um, school is done for the summer, so updates should, in theory, be coming a little quicker…I have two different ideas as to where this story is going. The first idea — pretty much let _this_ be the end of the story. Maybe a chapter or two to get things back on track, then an epilogue to wrap it up. The second idea will drag it on about ten _more_ chapters, will involve another time-skip, and will go into this whole thing about Rukia (possibly) getting her eyesight back. I could go either way, I don't really care. So I'm going to let you call it. No matter which way I go, it's going to be a happy ending, so don't let _that_ influence your choice. So…yeah. Review and let me know — Sam


	19. Back On Track

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_"I missed you," she whispered, her voice trembling so much, Ichigo was surprised she managed to get the words out at all. He sighed as he reached one hand up, running it comfortingly through her hair._

_"I missed you too," he responded quietly, tightening his arms around her just a little. He didn't want to let go._

_No more words were said then; there would be, Ichigo decided, plenty of time to talk later._

_Right now, all either of them really needed was to be with the other._

_That was enough._

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day —XIX**_

—_**:—:—Saturday, March 14**__**th**__**, 2009 –4**__**:14 p.m.**__** —:—:—**_

"You should talk to him."

"No."

"Rukia…"

The girl in question took a deep breath, squaring her shoulders, clearly preparing for a fight. "_No_, Nee-san," she said again. "I am not talking to him, I do not _want_ to talk to him. Forget it."

"I know you're angry—"

"You don't know the half of it," Rukia muttered, turning away from her sister. She closed her eyes, focusing on the sound of Ichigo's deep, even breathing (he'd fallen asleep some hour previous), hoping Hisana would just drop the entire conversation and go away.

No such luck.

"He was only looking out for you—"

"Yeah right," Rukia snorted. "Nii-sama doesn't _look out_ for people, Nee-san. He doesn't _care_ about anyone but himself, he never has, and he never will. So nice try, but quit trying to sell the 'concerned-older-brother' card, because I'm not buying it."

Okay, so maybe she was being a little harsh. But looking back on the last few months, and everything that had happened…yeah, she was mad. And she had a right to be. Even Hisana couldn't deny that.

"I'm angry at him too, Rukia. _Trust me_, I'm angry at him, and I haven't had a problem with letting him know. But can you at least believe he feels _bad_ about everything he's done? He knows what he did was wrong, and he knows he hurts you, and there's no way you can hate him any more than he hates himself right now."

"I very highly doubt that."

Hisana sighed. "All right, fine. I get it, you're going to be stubborn. I'll let it go for now, but don't think we're not revisiting this conversation. You can't stay angry at him forever."

"Watch me," Rukia muttered as she listened to her sister's footsteps carry her away. She didn't _really_ plan on staying mad at Byakuya forever…that was a very long time, after all.

But she definitely wasn't about to just _forgive_ her older brother. Not after all the pain he had caused her. She just wasn't that nice.

"You're being a bit harsh, don't you think?"

"Not you too!" Rukia groaned as she turned to Ichigo, who had apparently been listening to the entire conversation.

"I'm just saying, he _is_ your brother…not to mention your only family…maybe you could cut him some slack."

"Don't you _dare_ try to guilt trip me, Ichigo," Rukia's voice took on a threatening tone. She felt Ichigo cringe as he pulled away from her.

"I'm not trying to guilt trip you…I'm just saying, he's family. And when that's something you don't have a lot of, you have to try and keep what you have close to you."

"Says the boy who _left_ his family just to come to Tokyo to save a helpless blind girl."

"Knock it off," Ichigo said harshly. "You are _not_ a helpless blind girl, first of all. And I did _not_ leave them. I'm going back. Eventually."

Rukia pressed her lips together, turning away from Ichigo. "Right," she muttered, trying to ignore the fact that it was suddenly harder to breathe. "I know that, I was just teasing you."

Ichigo was quiet for a moment. Finally Rukia felt a pair of strong arms loop around her shoulders; she didn't fight as said arms pulled her against Ichigo's chest. She relaxed against him, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, and just _enjoying_ this feeling, knowing that all too soon, Ichigo would be gone, and she wouldn't have this anymore.

She was going to enjoy it while she could.

_**9:29 p.m.**_

Hinamori wasn't at the park that night; Rukia had a vague memory of her saying she was spending the night at Toushirou's house, clear across the city. Which left her and Ichigo alone.

She was okay with that.

"Bit more active around here, isn't it?" Ichigo asked as he swung back and forth lightly, watching the kids running around the brightly lit area. Rukia laughed a bit.

"Yeah. It's nice though, having the noise. It's not just constantly quiet." Rukia thought about her nights at the park in Karakura Town, before she'd met Ichigo. Other than the occasional voices from the delinquents that gathered there, it had always been completely silent. After awhile Rukia had gotten bored with it, though of course she never stopped going. Her only alternative had been home. And she spent enough time there.

"What are you thinking about?" Ichigo asked, breaking Rukia's train of thought. She shrugged.

"Nothing really. Just about how different this place is from Karakura Town. That's pretty obvious though, isn't it?" Ichigo didn't answer. "I miss Karakura," Rukia confessed after a moment, her voice low. "I miss absolutely _everything_ about it. I miss our house, I miss the woods, I miss the park…I miss being able to spend every night with you…"

"I know," Ichigo murmured as her voice drifted off. "I miss our nights too. I miss them a lot."

Neither of them spoke for a moment. "It's only a few months until summer," Ichigo said finally. "I could come out here and spend the summer with you. Or you could come to Karakura, my dad offered _ages_ ago to have tinted windows installed so you could come over whenever you wanted, you could come and stay with us for the summer…it's not that for away."

"You seem to be forgetting one thing," Rukia informed him. "Well, two, actually."

"What's that?" Ichigo sounded bewildered.

"Nee-san and Nii-sama." Ichigo didn't answer. "Exactly. Nee-san is incredibly overprotective, and Nii-sama is, well…Nii-sama," Rukia's voice took on a bitter note at the end of her statement. "I'm pretty sure neither of them would be okay with me spending the entire summer in Karakura. And I'm pretty sure Nii-sama would kill you in your sleep if you spent the entire summer _here_."

Not that _she_ wouldn't have been completely on-board with either idea…anything that allowed her to be with Ichigo was completely okay with her. It was getting around her siblings that was the problem.

But when _wasn't_ that the case?

"We'll figure something out," Ichigo said confidently. "I already spent one summer without you and I've gotta tell you, I wasn't a huge fan. I'm not doing it again."

Rukia smiled a bit. She definitely agreed with him there. "So when do you have to go home?" She asked after a moment, hoping he didn't notice the way her voice shook when she said _home_. Ichigo didn't answer for a minute.

"I should probably go tomorrow," he said finally, his voice sounding heavy. "Now seems like a bad time to start missing days…"

"Right," her voice twisted; it didn't sound anything like her. "That makes sense, you're right."

That didn't man she was _happy _with the idea, of course.

Eventually the sounds of the park began to die away as everybody left for the night. It was probably late. "We should go," Rukia said with a sigh. She didn't want to go. She wanted to be able to sit there forever, just her and Ichigo. She didn't want this to change.

"Right," Ichigo sounded as reluctant as she felt. She heard his swing creak as he slowly stood, and she scrambled to follow suit. No sooner was she standing did a large hand encase her own, smaller hand. She jumped, a bit surprised, but she certainly wasn't about to pull away. She couldn't even count the number of times they'd walked hand-in-hand through Karakura Town, after all. It wasn't such a big deal if they did the same thing here.

They walked in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, but their hands, with their intertwined fingers, did a good job of keeping them tethered to reality — and at the moment enjoying every second of it.

"You know," Ichigo said quietly as they turned on to Rukia's street, "you still haven't read the letters I sent to you."

"That's true," Rukia realized. "Nii-sama probably still has them, I could get them from him…"

"There isn't much in them," Ichigo promised. "They kind of follow the same line as yours. Just me telling you everything that was going on, how much I missed you, how I didn't understand why you weren't writing back…"

Rukia cringed. "Yeah. That sounds a lot like my letters." He'd left out one tiny little detail, unfortunately. The part in the _last_ letter where she admitted she was in love with him.

The thought of that mortified her now, quite honestly. How could she have told him something so _personal_? And in a _letter_ for God's sake! How stupid could she have been?

And he wasn't even bringing it up. Which just made her feel like even _more_ of a moron. Clearly he didn't feel the same way. She wasn't sure what she'd been thinking, telling him something like that. It could have screwed everything up…

"I should probably still get the letters from Nii-sama. Unless he burned them in the backyard or something," Ichigo chuckled humorlessly.

"That's all right, you don't have to. There was a lot in them that I'd rather tell you in person, anyways."

"Oh yeah?" Rukia tried to sound teasing; she was pretty sure she failed, though only slightly. "Like what?"

He didn't bother to copy her tone, surprisingly; his voice remained serious as he spoke. "Like the fact that I missed you. A lot more than I should have. I've had friends move away before, but I never missed anyone the way I missed you. It hurt so much more than it should have. You were all I thought about, every single day. And when I thought about how you weren't writing back, how you didn't seem to care, to miss me the way I missed you…it literally, physically _hurt_."

They'd stopped walking now, though Rukia barely noticed. Never before had she heard Ichigo sound so…sincere. So vulnerable. It was almost scary.

But she couldn't find it in herself to tell him to stop. Correction: she didn't _want_ to tell him to stop.

"When we were spending every night together, before you found out you were moving, I could tell you were…becoming a big part of my life. During the day, all I looked forward to was going to the park to see you. Some days it was the only thing on my mind. I probably should have realized that wasn't a normal thing, but it never really crossed my mind to be worried about it. It was the first time in…well, ever, really that I'd connected with someone the way I connected with you. I didn't really think it was a big deal.

"Then you moved, and I didn't get any letters responding to mine, and I thought you just didn't want to talk to me…and I started to realize a lot of things. First of all it should _not_ have hurt as much as it did that you weren't writing back. And second…I'd become very dependant on having you in my life. I don't quite know how I let it happen…but somehow, in two months, you became the most important part of my life."

"Ichigo…" Rukia wasn't quite sure what she was going to say. But it turned out it didn't matter, because he rested a finger over her lips, effectively silencing her.

"I love you." The three, quietly spoken words were probably the best things Rukia had ever heard. "And I don't care if two months is too short of time for someone to fall in love with someone else, or if we're too young and don't understand what love is…I _do_ love you, I know that for sure. I've probably loved you since the day we met…it just took all of this for me to realize the truth."

Thankfully, Rukia was spared trying to find something to say by the feeling of Ichigo's lips pressing softly against hers. She didn't have to think; she just pushed herself up on her tiptoes, giving herself more leverage and deepening the kiss. And for a handful of glorious moments, each of them were able to forget the rest of the world, instead just losing themselves in the other…

And enjoying every minute of it.

_**11:57 p.m.**_

"What are you staring at?" Hisana asked, raising an eyebrow at her older brother, who was standing at the living room window, his face twisted into a look of disbelief — and probably a little anger.

When Byakuya didn't answer, Hisana sighed, standing up and going to stand next to him to see what he was seeing.

The last thing she'd expected to see was her baby sister standing on the front lawn with her orange-haired friend, the two of them kissing.

"If you say 'aaawww' or any other term of endearment, I will not be held responsible for my actions," Byakuya threatened his sister instantly. Hisana clamped her mouth shut, unable to completely wipe the grin off her face.

"Quit it with the look. After what you did you should be happy they got themselves back on track so quickly." Byakuya didn't answer. It was quite clear he wasn't happy with this situation — and Hisana hadn't really expected him to be. But his opinion had already stopped mattering to Rukia, and Hisana certainly wasn't about to let it ruin this moment. "He makes her happy. Isn't that worth anything to you?"

Byakuya sighed as he turned away from the window at last, silently starting to head for the stairs, though Hisana swore she heard him say, "it's worth everything."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Too…much…fluff…/dies/ Gah…oh my god, this chapter was so, so, _so_ painful to write…and it feels absolutely _terrible_ to me…and oh god, so much fluff, must write angst…/crawls off into a corner to resume working on angst-y story/ Anyways, the ayes have it — and by ayes, I mean the people who voted for Rukia to get her eyesight back. Which is good, because that's what I wanted to go with. And now that I have everyone's support, I can tell you this: just because I promised a happy ending no matter which way I went, doesn't mean it's going to be easy. If I'd just cut off here it would have been a simple happy ending. But you've all given me permission to submit Ichigo and Rukia to some good old fashioned torture. Thank you very much /insert evil laughter here/ So…review please and let me know how this chapter was? Oh, and next chapter is the time-skip. Just a warning — Sam


	20. Beauty of the World

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_"If you say 'aaawww' or any other term of endearment, I will not be held responsible for my actions," Byakuya threatened his sister instantly. Hisana clamped her mouth shut, unable to completely wipe the grin off her face._

_"Quit it with the look. After what you did you should be happy they got themselves back on track so quickly." Byakuya didn't answer. It was quite clear he wasn't happy with this situation — and Hisana hadn't really expected him to be. But his opinion had already stopped mattering to Rukia, and Hisana certainly wasn't about to let it ruin this moment. "He makes her happy. Isn't that worth anything to you?"_

_Byakuya sighed as he turned away from the window at last, silently starting to head for the stairs, though Hisana swore she heard him say, "it's worth everything."_

—

_**Shadow of the Day —XX**_

—_**:—:—Wednesday, September 21**__**st**__**, 2011 –7**__**:15 p.m.**__** —:—:—**_

_**(Two Years Later)**_

"_Ow_!"

Kuchiki Rukia jerked awake as the sound of someone yelling, mingled with the irritating, buzzing sound of an alarm clock, echoed in her head.

"You son of a…did you just throw your shoe at me?"

"Hey, if it gets you to wake up and turn off your damn alarm, I'll throw my _bureau_ at you next. I've got two hours before class, I'd like to get some _sleep_, thank you." Ichigo grumbled under his breath as he slammed his hand down on his alarm, effectively silencing it. Rukia laughed quietly as she crawled out of bed, feeling her way over to the dresser and pulling open the drawer Ichigo deemed as "hers."

"I'm glad _you_ think it's so funny," her orange-haired boyfriend complained.

"Well I didn't get a shoe thrown at my head," she observed easily, pulling out a shirt and a pair of pants, "so I suppose I'm allowed to think it's funny."

"Hey, if you two are going to have a conversation go out in the hall." Ichigo's roommate snapped at both of them. Rukia heard his bed creak, presumably as he rolled over. She'd long ago learned not to take Abarai Renji's complaining or bad mood seriously. He spent most of the day hours working and most of the night hours in class, and barely got any sleep as a result; he was _always_ a bit cross.

They dressed in silence, giving Renji some peace, silently slipping out into the hall when they were done. "Son of a bitch," Ichigo muttered as they made their way across the floor, heading to Rukia's room.

"Be nice," Rukia scolded him lightly. "Not all of us were lucky enough to get a full scholarship like you—"

"Or you—"

"Some people have to work to keep themselves here."

Ichigo fell silent. Rukia assumed he was sulking.

"Hey!" Hinamori chirped as Rukia opened the door. "Shirou-chan and I were just about to go down and get supper, you guys wanna come?"

"Sure—"

"By the time we get out of here we're both going to have to go class," Ichigo interrupted. Rukia sighed, a bit annoyed.

"Oh come on…"

Rukia imagined Ichigo was grinning as he patted her head. "How's that slave-to-time thing going for you, Rukia?"

"I don't _like it_," Rukia muttered, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. Ichigo just laughed.

"All right, what do you have again?"

"There's a schedule hanging over my desk, Ichigo. _I'm_ the one that's blind, remember?" She heard Ichigo grumble something under his breath as he yanked open the drawer where Rukia kept her schoolbooks. "Anyways, we're going to starve, don't we have time for a quick meal?"

"We have an hour break between our first and second classes, we'll go for food then," Ichigo promised. "Come on, we have to go."

"Have fun in class!" Hinamori called after the two as they slipped out of the room again. Rukia sighed as she took her bag from Ichigo, throwing it over her shoulder. Ichigo took Rukia's hand, intertwining their fingers, and gently tugged her towards the elevator.

"Are you _sure_ we don't have time to go and get something to eat?"

"Rukia…" Ichigo sighed. "We'll go after class, all right? I promise. It's not like you're in danger of starving, you ate my last two noodle bowls before we went to sleep, remember?"

"That was so _long_ ago though…"

Ichigo chuckled, clearly not at all moved by his girlfriend's whining tone. "You can live for an hour, can't you?"

"And won't you feel bad if I starve to death?" Rukia demanded as they stopped walking.

"Maybe."

"_Maybe_?" The elevator dinged as it opened, and Ichigo led Rukia inside. "_Maybe_ you'll feel bad if I starve to death?"

"Well like I said before, there's really no danger of that happening, so I don't see why I should even bother answering at all. Be happy you got a maybe." Rukia considered this for a moment. Finally she decided the best course of action would be to step on Ichigo's foot. "Ow! What was that for?"

"You're a jerk."

"Thanks, love you too," Ichigo grumbled. "I should just make you walk to class on your own."

"Yeah, but you won't."

Ichigo didn't answer, and Rukia knew she had won.

The walk to class was silent. Rukia knew Ichigo was fuming over his toes, and she was perfectly content to let him do that in peace.

It was quiet on the campus, of course. Rukia imagined it was a lot louder and a lot busier during the day, but day classes ended at six-thirty. By this time most people had gone home for the night, or were in their dorms, or off-campus doing something. It wasn't very common for anyone except the people taking night classes to be out once the sun went down.

Rukia enjoyed the peace though. It was something she was used to. She liked it. And more to the point, she liked it because it was just her and Ichigo, together in her dark, peaceful world.

Having Ichigo made everything a lot better.

_**9:20 p.m.**_

"Ahuh…all right…okay, I'll tell her. Yup, love you too, Yuzu. Bye," Ichigo sighed as he ended the call and looked up at Rukia, who was sitting across the table from him, playing with her fries. "Thought you were hungry, you wouldn't stop complaining about how you were going to starve to death earlier."

"Think I changed my mind," Rukia shrugged. Ichigo closed his eyes and counted to ten. "What'd Yuzu want?"

"Just to say hello. She says hi, by the way." Ichigo took a sip of his drink before continuing. "I think I'm gonna go home this weekend, just to check up on things, make sure everyone is all right. You wanna come?"

A tight smirk pulled at Rukia's lips as she answered. "What, do you think I'm incapable of staying here by myself?"

"I never said that, but if you don't want to come…"

"When did I say I didn't want to come?" Ichigo ran a hand through his hair, glad, not for the first time, that she couldn't see the smile threatening to take over his face.

"Fine, be that way," he tried to sound aggravated, but he knew Rukia could hear the note of amusement in his voice. She heard_ everything_.

"Fine, I will," Rukia shot back, but she was smiling. This was their game. They enjoyed their game quite a bit.

"Fine."

"Fine."

Two beats of silence, then both burst out laughing. "Come on," Ichigo was shaking his head as he stood up. "We have class in ten minutes, we should get going."

"Do we _have_ to?" Rukia whined as she stood up as well. Ichigo grabbed her trash and his, balancing it in one hand, grabbed his bag with his other hand and throwing it over his shoulder, and finally take Rukia's hand, starting across the cafeteria.

"You really _never_ stop complaining, do you?" The good-natured tone in Ichigo's voice was easy to hear. Rukia just smiled as she sped up to walk at Ichigo's side so he wasn't dragging her along.

"Remind me again why this college thing is such a good idea?" She asked as they made their way out the main building, heading for one of the classroom buildings.

"Because it's always good to continue your education as far as you can go," Rukia snorted in disbelief. "Coming here got you away from your brother and sister."

"_That_ I will believe." Ichigo chuckled as they started across campus. A soft wind blew over them. The orange-haired teen smiled as the wind blew through Rukia's hair, stray pieces tickling her face.

They stopped outside of Rukia's class, pausing just long enough for Ichigo to lean and press a light kiss against his raven-haired girlfriend's lips. "Do we _have_ to go to class?" Rukia grumbled unhappily as Ichigo pulled away from her. "Renji and Momo-san are in class, both our rooms are free—"

"Stay in that mindset for two hours," Ichigo ordered firmly, kissing her again. "Renji has class until two and we have three hours break between this class and our next one."

"_Fine_," Rukia sighed, clearly disappointed. "See you after class…"

Ichigo laughed as he watched her walk into class, then turned and headed for the room _he_ was supposed to be in.

"Hey Ichigo," Renji muttered as Ichigo set his bag down on the desk next to his roommate. Ichigo was surprised Renji had noticed he'd walked in, considering he had his head on desk, eyes closed.

"Why do you even _come_ to class?" Ichigo asked, sitting down and pulling out his laptop, hitting the power button. "All you ever do is sleep through it."

"I get credit for coming here and sleeping through this class," Renji replied, opening his eyes open just a crack to look at Ichigo. "Not to mention _you_ let me use all your notes anyways, so I don't have to worry about staying awake."

"What would you do if I stopped letting you use my notes?"

"Refuse to let your girlfriend into the room," Renji shot back simply as he closed his eyes again.

"You're always working or sleeping, you'd never be able to tell the difference!" Renji shrugged, apparently deciding that it wasn't worth his time or energy to answer. Ichigo rolled his eyes, turning his eyes back to his laptop screen to have his desktop greet him. He opened his internet browser to a search engine. He hesitated for only a moment before typing in _Xeroderma Pigmentosum, eyesight loss_, and hitting search.

"Isn't that what your girlfriend has?" Ichigo jumped a mile, his head snapping around to look at Renji, who had pulled his head off his desk and was now looking at Ichigo's laptop screen with some form of tired interest. "What are you doing research for?"

"None of your business," Ichigo muttered as he started scrolling through the many links his search query had turned out. The truth was, he'd spent a lot of time in the last two years studying the idea of eyesight lost due to Xeroderma Pigmentosum being restored. He'd never told Rukia anything about his research. She wouldn't have been happy; she was perfectly okay with the way her life was now, and didn't think she needed her eyesight. Ichigo would certainly never bring up the idea; this research was just for his own peace of mind.

"Is there a way for that to happen?" Renji asked, completely ignoring the mean look Ichigo gave him. "For Rukia to get her eyesight back, I mean?"

"Well there's plenty of theories," Ichigo replied with a sigh, realizing Renji wasn't going to leave him alone. "There are doctors who specialize in this kind of surgery, but it's not exactly a _safe_ surgery. There are plenty of complications. There've only been a few successful cases, from what I've found."

"Why are you doing this, anyways?"

Before Ichigo could answer, the professor walked in, putting an end to the conversation. Ichigo sighed as he closed his laptop, pulling out a notebook and pen to begin taking notes.

He would _never_ suggest anything about his research to Rukia. She seemed to have it in her mind that she was better off without her eyesight; and Ichigo wouldn't begrudge her for that, it was her life after all. Besides, the more research he did, the more nervous he got about the entire idea.

But every time he walked around campus, with all its trees and skillfully designed buildings and flowers and beautiful landscaping, and he tried to describe it to Rukia, but he could never fully do it justice…and he just _wished_ she could see the beauty on the same level he saw it. She didn't seem to know just what she was missing out on, depending on Ichigo, who was terrible with words, to describe the entire world to her. He could never do anything justice.

He would never ask her to do something this drastic either, though. It was her life, after all. He knew it was privilege that he was a part of it. And he was happy to let her live whatever way she wanted to — even if it meant being blind for the rest of her life.

He loved her, after all. He'd go with whatever she wanted. This research was just for his peace of mind.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Yup…clearly an introductory chapter. Kind of boring, I know, but hey, you all know I'm just getting started, hehe. Hang in there, cuz I promise it'll be getting better, and soon-like. So review please? — Sam


	21. Wondering What If

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_But every time he walked around campus, with all its trees and skillfully designed buildings and flowers and beautiful landscaping, and he tried to describe it to Rukia, but he could never fully do it justice…and he just wished she could see the beauty on the same level he saw it. She didn't seem to know just what she was missing out on, depending on Ichigo, who was terrible with words, to describe the entire world to her. He could never do anything justice._

_He would never ask her to do something this drastic either, though. It was her life, after all. He knew it was privilege that he was a part of it. And he was happy to let her live whatever way she wanted to — even if it meant being blind for the rest of her life._

_He loved her, after all. He'd go with whatever she wanted. This research was just for his peace of mind._

—

_**Shadow of the Day —XXI**_

—_**:—:—Friday, September 23**__**rd**__**, 2011 –7**__**:15 p.m.**__** —:—:—**_

Ichigo was always amazed when he watched Rukia in the kitchen with Yuzu. It had made him nervous, when she'd first started spending time at his house, and she'd offered to help with the cooking. Yuzu had hesitated a little, but finally allowed her to help with cutting the vegetables. Ichigo had almost had a heart attack when he'd seen Rukia handling a knife.

It still made him nervous, of course, seeing a sharp edge _that_ close to her vulnerable fingers. A lot of the time he was tempted to just yank the knife out of her hand. But that would just cause a fight. So instead he just tried to stay out of the kitchen as much as he could when he knew Rukia was helping Yuzu with supper.

"What are you doing?"

Ichigo craned his neck to look at Karin, who was leaning over the back of the couch, staring at the screen of her brother's laptop. "Just some research for a class," Ichigo muttered, closing the window before Karin could read more closely and see what he was actually reading about. "Don't you have homework to do?"

"It's the weekend," Karin reminded Ichigo, walking around the couch and plopping down next to the orange-haired teen. "Homework can wait. And you're a terrible liar you know." Ichigo scowled at the girl, who smiled just a bit. "So what were you _really_ doing?"

Before Ichigo could answer, Yuzu called, "time for supper!" effectively ending the conversation. Ichigo shut down his laptop and closed it, setting it on the table before standing up and heading for the kitchen, Karin right behind him.

Supper passed without much incident, save for Isshin trying to tackle Ichigo when he walked into the kitchen. Even Rukia didn't flinch anymore when this occurred; it was such a common thing.

After supper Ichigo and Rukia retreated up to Ichigo's room, both pointedly ignoring Isshin, who called to their backs, "Leave the door open!"

"You know you work too much," Ichigo said as he looked down at the edge of the bed, where Rukia was sitting, typing a paper. "It _is_ Friday. Take a break."

"This is due Monday," Rukia muttered without breaking her concentration. "I don't have time to take a break."

"You've been working on that paper all week. You have time for a break." Ichigo sat up, crawling to the edge of the bed and wrapping his arms around Rukia's slim waist. "Come on…"

"Ichigo…" Rukia's voice drifted off as Ichigo pressed his lips lightly against Rukia's neck. "_Ichigo_…"

Ichigo smirked a bit as he carefully eased Rukia's laptop out of her lap, setting it down on the floor before returning his full attention to Rukia. "No, come on Ichi—"

"Shush," Ichigo ordered firmly, kissing her again. Rukia moaned a bit, relaxing under Ichigo's touch. After a moment she returned the kiss, and Ichigo grinned, tightening his grip on her waist and scooting back, pulling her down so she was laying on top of him.

"Ichigo," Rukia muttered, pulling away from him just enough to speak. Ichigo groaned quietly, letting his head fall back on his pillow.

"Come on Rukia, your paper will still be there in an hour—"

"No, it's not that," Rukia said quickly. "I think I heard something outside the door."

Ichigo blinked, then scowled. "Move," he sighed. Rukia obediently rolled off of him, and he jumped up, storming across the room and yanking his bedroom door open. "Give me a break!" He shouted at Isshin, who was kneeling on the floor, a cup to his ear. "Get out of here!"

And with that he slammed the door again. Rukia laughed, sitting up. "Mood officially ruined," Ichigo griped as he flopped back down on the bed. Rukia crawled back to the edge of the bed, leaning over and grabbing the laptop off the floor so she could continue working. "Aw come on—"

"You said the mood was ruined, didn't you? So that means I can continue working without worrying about you interrupting again."

Ichigo huffed, rolling onto his stomach and burying his face in the pillow.

Silence ruled for a few minutes, save for the _tap, tap, tap_ of Rukia's fingers against the keys of her keyboard. "Hey Rukia?" Ichigo finally broke the silence, raising his head so his face wasn't in the pillow anymore.

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever…you know, thought about…what it'd be like if you weren't blind?" Rukia stopped typing, her eyes narrowing a bit.

"Haven't we had this conversation before?"

"Probably," Ichigo admitted. He honestly couldn't remember at that moment. They'd talked about a lot of thing sin the time they'd been together. "Refresh my memory."

Rukia sighed, leaning back against the wall. "I've never thought about it. I lost my sight when I was baby, I don't remember ever being able to see. Why wonder about something I never remember having?"

"Right," Ichigo murmured, letting his head drop again. He heard Rukia sigh, and then a light _thunk_ as she set her laptop back down on the floor.

"Besides, you should consider yourself lucky. If I could actually _see_, I'd probably take one look at you and run screaming in the other direction."

"Oh ha-ha," Ichigo grumbled, sitting up. Rukia was smirking at him, her violet eyes sparkling with humor. "You're a real riot, you know that right?"

"I like to think so."

Ichigo moved quickly, his arms flying out. Rukia squeaked in surprise as she tried to scramble away, but Ichigo grabbed her, holding her back and pulling her against his chest. "You'd run away, huh?" He growled playfully in her ear. "I'd like to see you try."

Rukia laughed, twisting so she was facing Ichigo and pressing her lips against his cheek. Ichigo smiled, slipping his arms down to her waist. They laid back on the bed, each just _enjoying_ being in the other's company. "Haven't you ever wondered though?" Ichigo asked after a minute, his fingers intertwining with hers. "You know, what it'd be like if maybe you could…somehow get your eyesight back?"

Rukia was quiet for a few moments. "If it's not broken, why fix it?" She said finally. "It's never going to happen, no point in wondering about it."

"Yeah. You're right." _Stupid, stupid, stupid_, Ichigo berated himself silently. He'd known the answers he was going to get before he'd even asked the questions. He should have just left it alone.

"Why are you asking about all of this anyways?" Rukia asked after a minute. Ichigo just shook his head, pressing a kiss against her forehead.

"Never-mind. Do you hear anyone outside the door?"

They both paused, wracking their ears up intently. They heard the TV on downstairs, and music down the hall, in Yuzu's and Karin's room. "Nope," they said at the same time, then grinned as they fell back on the bed, already kissing each other deeply.

_**11:55 p.m.**_

Ichigo grinned, a bit stupidly, tightening his grip on Rukia's waist, drawing lazy patterns on the back of her hand. Rukia was long since asleep, of course, the smooth skin of her bare back pressed against Ichigo's equally bare chest.

It was the times like this that reminded him how much he loved Rukia. Not the sex. He could have lived without that. It was everything that _followed_ the sex; laying in bed, cradling her in his arms, watching her sleep. Rukia was very amusing to watch sleep. She wasn't a _restless_ sleeper, so to speak. Sometimes she twisted a little, curling up into a tight ball, or she'd make faces, her lips moving just a bit, though Ichigo could never tell what she was saying. Ichigo loved it. He loved _her_.

Ichigo sighed as he raised a hand, smoothing back Rukia's hair, still smiling.

He laid there for a little while longer before disentangling himself from Rukia and crawling out of bed, finding his boxers and slipping them, and then his sweatpants on. He stopped long enough to make sure Rukia was covered before heading downstairs to grab a drink.

"Honestly boy, you have no shame, do you?"

Ichigo jumped a mile, whirling away from the sink. Isshin was sitting on the couch, drinking a soda. If it wasn't for the moonlight seeping in through the window, Ichigo wouldn't have been able to see him. "What the…crazy old man!" Ichigo seethed angrily. "What are you doing sitting in the dark?"

"Why are _you_ doing such naughty things with your girlfriend in your childhood bedroom? When you and Rukia go to _her_ house do you do naughty things?" Ichigo glared at his father for a moment. There was no point in pointing out that they didn't go to Rukia's house. Isshin probably already knew that anyways.

"Why are you sitting in the dark?" He asked instead. Isshin shrugged, standing up and walking over to the recycling bin, tossing the can in.

"Actually I was hoping to run into you. You left your laptop down here earlier, Karin was using it. She…happened to click into your internet history." Ichigo cringed.

"…Oh." Isshin stared at his son for a long time. "It's…not what you think. I was just…I just wanted to do some research. I was curious."

"Ahuh." Isshin opened the fridge, pulling out a bottle of water. "Why were you so curious?"

"Do I need an excuse?"

"I guess not," Isshin answered, pulling a deep swig of his bottle. "Does Rukia-chan know about your curiosity?"

"No," Ichigo admitted. "But you know…it doesn't really matter, does it? She doesn't need to know everything."

"That's not really fair though, considering the research is about _her_." Ichigo huffed. He hated it when Isshin made a good point.

"It would just annoy her. She doesn't think there's any reason for her to try and change anything about her life. She's happy." _Mostly_, he added silently.

Isshin seemed to hear what Ichigo _didn't_ say. And guess the reason behind it. "How're Byakuya and Hisana doing, anyways? Rukia-chan was kind of vague when I asked her about it dinner."

Ichigo sighed, wishing his pants had pockets to shove his hands into as he stared at the ceiling. "They're…all right. I guess. Last time Rukia talked to Hisana they were okay. That was…awhile ago though."

Isshin raised an eyebrow at Ichigo's obvious hesitation. "Byakuya and Rukia still aren't on good terms, then?"

Ichigo snorted. That was probably the understatement of the century. The siblings hadn't spoken for one another in over a year now. If it wasn't for Hisana, Ichigo was pretty sure Byakuya could have been dead, and Rukia never would have known. "That's too bad," Isshin commented after a moment. "That must be hard on Rukia, Hisana and Byakuya _are_ her only family, after all."

Ichigo didn't answer. He grabbed a glass out of the cabinet, filling it up with water and taking a deep sip. Like he didn't feel guilty enough about virtually ruining Rukia's life. Now Isshin had to add to it.

"I'm going back upstairs," he muttered finally, finishing his water and setting the empty glass down in the sink. "G'night Dad."

"Sleep tight, Ichigo." Isshin sighed as he watched Ichigo walk back upstairs. The boy really did have a good heart. And it was obvious he loved Rukia, more than anything.

And Isshin was proud of that.

"Where'd you go?" Rukia muttered as Ichigo crawled back into bed. Ichigo smiled, looping his arms around his girlfriend's waist.

"Just went downstairs to get a drink," he said, pressing his lips lightly against the top of her head. Rukia snuggled against him, sighing a bit and smiling contently. She looked like she was mostly ready to go back to sleep. "Hey Rukia?"

Rukia groaned quietly. "Ichigo what time is it?"

Ichigo checked his clock. "About ten after midnight."

"You're half-right. It's _bedtime_, Ichigo. Not time to be asking questions."

"This'll only take a minute," Ichigo promised. "I was just wondering if you've talked to Hisana-san recently."

Rukia was quiet for a long time. Ichigo wondered if she'd fallen back to sleep. "No," she admitted finally. "Why? Do you think I should call her?"

"Well…maybe. I mean…she _is_ your sister after all. She deserves a phone call every once and awhile." He was very careful to avoid Byakuya's name at all costs. Her brother's name was a one-way ticket to sleep on the floor with a single blanket and no pillow.

"I'll call her tomorrow," Rukia surrendered finally. "Now can I _please_ go to sleep?"

Ichigo smiled softly. "Yeah. Good night Rukia. Love you."

"Love you too."

Each of them fell asleep smiling faintly.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So what's up with Rukia and Byakuya? That's a story for next chapter — and yes, it _does_ go beyond what Byakuya did with the letters. As if he could screw up any more, right? Next chapter's going to start with a rather long flashback explaining everything about that. Also, Rukia's going to find out about Ichigo's "research" — who's looking forward to that? Read and review please! — Sam


	22. The Idea of Change

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

**Beginning Note:** So things get a little OOC at the end. Please hold on with me though, I'll explain everything in the ending notes. Promise

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_"This'll only take a minute," Ichigo promised. "I was just wondering if you've talked to Hisana-san recently."_

_Rukia was quiet for a long time. Ichigo wondered if she'd fallen back to sleep. "No," she admitted finally. "Why? Do you think I should call her?"_

_"Well…maybe. I mean…she is your sister after all. She deserves a phone call every once and awhile." He was very careful to avoid Byakuya's name at all costs. Her brother's name was a one-way ticket to sleep on the floor with a single blanket and no pillow._

_"I'll call her tomorrow," Rukia surrendered finally. "Now can I_ please _go to sleep?"_

_Ichigo smiled softly. "Yeah. Good night Rukia. Love you."_

_"Love you too."_

_Each of them fell asleep smiling faintly._

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day —XXII**_

—_**:—:—Wednesday, February 10**__**th**__**, 2010 –8**__**:30 p.m.**__** —:—:—**_

_"Go ahead, Rukia." Hisana prodded her little sister in the back. "Just go in there and talk to him, go on…"_

_"Do I have to?" Rukia groaned quietly, clutching her college acceptance letter tightly in her hands._

_"What are you going to do in September, Rukia? Say 'I'm going to go to the bathroom' and not come back until winter break?" Rukia turned to give her sister a hopeful look._

_"Could I?"_

_Hisana made an impatient noise in the back of her throat and shoved Rukia a little. "Get in there and talk to him Ru-chan."_

_Rukia grumbled under her breath as she stepped forward, knocking on her brother's study door. "Come in," Byakuya called. Rukia bit her lip, then opened the door and stepped in._

_"Um…hey, Nii-sama," Rukia muttered, rocking back on her heels._

_"Rukia. Can I help you?" Rukia swallowed hard, shuffling further into the room._

_"Um, well…um…I…this," she murmured finally, holding out her acceptance letter. Byakuya took it, and silence fell as he read the letter. She knew Byakuya was going to freak when he found out that was the _only_ college she'd applied to — and it was the same college Ichigo was going to. Byakuya barely approved of the relationship as it was._

_"Rukia have you decided what you want to do with your life yet?" Byakuya asked after a moment. Rukia bit her lip._

_"Not really," she admitted. The truth was she'd never really _believed_ she would make it to college — never-mind trying to figure out what she wanted to do with her life _after_ college._

_"So how do you know this college is the right one for you?"_

_"Well um…you know…"_

_Byakuya gave his sister a minute to answer before moving on. "There are plenty of other colleges with terrific night programs, you should leave your options open, wait until you here from another school—"_

_"Um…actually, that was the only place I applied to," Rukia interrupted hesitantly. There was a pause as Byakuya absorbed this information._

_"You only applied to _one_ college? Isn't that kind of risky, Rukia?"_

_Yeah, it was. Hisana had warned Rukia of that when she'd been applying. But this was the only college that Ichigo — who _knew_ what he wanted to do with his life — wanted to go to. Rukia was just following him._

_She had a feeling Byakuya wouldn't appreciate hearing _that_ though._

_"Well, I got in, so does it really matter?"_

_"You still don't know what you're going for. You should go to a school that has a more well-rounded curriculum, a place that will help you _decide_—"_

_"But I _want_ to here—"_

_"This wouldn't happen to have anything to do with that boyfriend of yours, would it?" Rukia froze._

Shoot_…_

_"Nii-sama—"_

_"You can't make important life decisions based on what some _boy_ is doing Rukia. That's irresponsible. Not to mention ridiculous." Rukia bristled a little at that._

_"He's the only reason I even want to _go_ to college. You could be a little grateful to him for that."_

_"And again, making important life decisions based on a boy."_

_"He's not just _a boy_—"_

_"Yes, he is," Byakuya's voice was surprisingly patient, despite the anger that was filling his sister's. "Honestly Rukia, sometimes I worry that you're investing too much into this _one_ relationship."_

_Rukia bit her tongue on every bad thing that threatened to slip out past her lips. "And anyways, this school you want to go to leans more towards the sciences and maths, neither of which you've _ever_ been interested in—"_

_"You know what I like?" Rukia scoffed. "I'm amazed."_

_"Rukia—"_

_"I didn't come in here to ask your _permission_ to go, I came in here to tell you _this_ is where I'm going." Where these words were coming from, Rukia really didn't know. But they were coming, and Rukia didn't want them to stop. "It's my life, Nii-sama, I'm eighteen, _I'm_ the one who gets to decide what I want to do with _my_ life. You're entitled to your opinions, but don't think they're going to change my mind."_

_"If you let everything your boyfriend does control your life—" Byakuya began heatedly._

_"Then it's my business, not yours."_

_"If you really think I'm going to sit here and watch you ruin your life than you're _sadly_ mistaken," Byakuya snapped. The tone of his voice surprised Rukia a little, but she didn't back down. "You're _not_ making life decisions based on some hapless teenage romance!"_

_"I'm not asking your permission!" Rukia reminded her brother angrily. "You don't have to like my decision or support it, I'm going to do what I want to do, I'm sick of letting you ruin my life!" Silence fell over the room. Somehow, Rukia couldn't bring herself to regret her rash words. "And you know what?" She continued after a moment. "I'm tired of listening to you constantly belittle my relationship with Ichigo. You give me grief about it every chance you get, you come down on him every single time he's over here, you never have _one_ good thing to say, I'm _sick_ of it. I sick of _you_, Nii-sama. You're not going to tell me how to live my life. I'm done listening to you."_

_More silence. "Is that so?" Byakuya said finally, his voice regaining its cool, collected manner. "If you think you're so ready to live your life your own, then I guess there's no reason for you to continue living _here_, is there?"_

_Before Rukia could respond, the door behind her flew open, banging against the wall. "All right, that's enough," Hisana snapped, effectively putting an end to the argument. "Rukia, go up to your room. Now. Byakuya you move one step and I won't hesitate to hang you over the banister by your toes, and I don't care if you _are_ two feet taller than me — I'll figure out a way. Rukia, go."_

_Rukia cast a glare in her brother's direction before slipping out and heading upstairs. As soon as her bedroom door closed, the distant yells of Hisana and Byakuya began echoing throughout the house._

He wants me out? Fine by me_._

_She grabbed her cell-phone off her bedside table, her fingers running over the tiny Braille labels on the keypad. She found the number she wanted and hit send._

_Someone picked up after three rings. "_Hello_?"_

_"Hey Momo-san, it's me."_

_"_Oh, hey Rukia_!" Momo's voice brightened at the sound of her friend's voice. "_How did talking to your brother go?_"_

_"Um…well he threw me out of the house."_

_Shocked silence followed Rukia's words. An astonished, "_What?_" followed the silence. "_Are you kidding me_?" Momo asked in disbelief. "_I don't believe him! Has he lost his mind? There's no way Hisana-san will go for that—_"_

_"Yeah, she's down there arguing my case right now. But you know what? I don't care. I don't _want_ to live here anymore. I'm tired of him."_

_Momo was quiet for a moment. "_Hang on,"_ she said finally. Rukia heard her cover the phone with her hand, and then the sound of muffled voices speaking made their way through the lines. Momo came back after a minute. "_My mom said you can stay here, if you want._"_

_"God bless your mother," Rukia muttered. "I'll start packing."_

_"_Want me to come over_?"_

_Rukia thought for a moment before answering. "Would you?" She asked finally, her voice surprisingly soft. It was starting to hit her. Her brother had just thrown her out. And even if Hisana managed to change his mind, Rukia would know that he didn't _want_ her there. And she didn't _want_ to stay there anyways. Not with him._

_"_I'll be there in a few_," Momo promised before hanging up. Rukia sighed as she hung up as well and went over to her closet, digging out the duffel bag that was buried in the back._

Knock-Knock

_"Rukia?" Unsurprisingly, it was Hisana's voice that called to Rukia through the wooden door._

_"Come in."_

_No doubt Hisana was surprised to see her sister packing when she walked into the room. "Rukia…come on. What are you doing?"_

_"What, you didn't hear Nii-sama? He made it pretty clear he wants me out."_

_"No, he doesn't," Hisana argued quietly. "You were both angry, you both said things you didn't mean—"_

_"I didn't," Rukia interrupted harshly. "And you know what, he didn't either. And even if he did, I don't care. He's done enough to ruin my life already, Nee-san. I'm not going to give him a chance to mess it up even more. I'm done._

_"Rukia…"_

_Rukia yanked open her shirt drawer, shoving her shirts haphazardly into her bag. "Momo-san's coming over soon. Her mom said I could stay with them for a little while."_

_"That really isn't necessary—"_

_The sound of the doorbell ringing cut Hisana off. "I'll get it," Hisana sighed. Rukia imagined she was shaking her head. "Rukia I really wish you would re-consider—"  
_

_"It's for the best, Nee-san," Rukia said quietly. She listened to Hisana's footsteps retreat down the stairs, then returned to her packing with a sigh, ignoring the stinging feeling in her eyes._

—_**:—:—Saturday, September 24**__**th**__**, 2011 –4**__**:02 p.m.**__** —:—:—**_

"All right…yup…okay Nee-san, love you too. Yeah right…okay, tell him I said hi. Yup. Bye." Rukia sighed as she pulled the phone away from her ear and hit 'end', closing her eyes and enjoying the feeling of Ichigo's fingers playing with her hair. If it wasn't for him, these increasingly awkward phone calls would have probably already killed her. It was worse when _Byakuya_ was the one who picked up. Like he had this time. "Nee-san says hi."

"Hi Hisana-san," Ichigo said disinterestedly, still playing with Rukia's hair.

"I hung up already."

"Really now? I didn't notice." Rukia rolled her eyes, leaning back against Ichigo's chest. "So how's she doing?"

"All right. She's graduating at the end of next semester. I forgot…" Rukia's voice drifted off as she closed her eyes, pulling in a deep breath. "She's officially going to be Dr. Kuchiki."

"Good for her. She's good at talking to people. Especially your brother." Rukia's body stiffened involuntarily at the mention of her brother. "Right. Sorry." He was silent for a moment. "You know…maybe you should try talking to him."

"No way," Rukia said firmly. "Maybe when he wants to stop acting like Mr. High-and-Mighty I'll think about it. Or at least when he can say 'it's good to hear from you' without sounding like he wants to chew his tongue off."

Ichigo chuckled lightly, tightening the grip his other arm had on her waist. They sat in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying each other's company.

"Hey," Rukia said finally, twisting a bit so she was facing Ichigo. "Got a question for you."

"Shoot."

"What was up last night with all the questions? We kind of got sidetracked." Ichigo hesitated. Rukia didn't miss that. "Ichigo…?"

A sigh. "I was just…curious about a few things, is all," he said finally. "I have been for awhile. Last night was when I just…decided to put it all to voice."

Rukia wasn't completely convinced with the answer. "Why were you so curious? It's a conversation we've had before…"

"Well…you know…"

"Enlighten me."

Another sigh. "Okay. I've been doing a little…research…for the last few months."

"Research?" Rukia repeated suspiciously, straightening up a bit.

"Like I said, curiosity," Ichigo muttered. "I've just been…you know…looking into all the research behind eyesight loss as a complication of XP and…if it's possible for a person who's lost their eyesight to XP to ever get it back."

It took Rukia a minute to decide which of her thoughts to give voice to. "Why?" She demanded finally, a bit incredulous. "I mean, why does it matter even if you can? I don't want my eyesight — I don't need it. Why would you bother researching it?"

"I was just curious," Ichigo repeated, his voice clearly defensive. "I mean, it's an interesting idea, don't you think? The possibility of getting your eyesight back after being blind for your entire life—"

"I don't think it's interesting at all, I think it's a waste of time," Rukia interrupted, struggling to keep her voice even.

"I was just curious," Ichigo said again, the defensive not still clear, though there was also a bit of pleading. Rukia narrowed her eyes in his direction. Part of her knew she was being a bit irrational, giving Ichigo such grief. On the other hand…

_"Haven't you ever wondered though?" Ichigo asked after a minute, his fingers intertwining with hers. "You know, what it'd be like if maybe you could…somehow get your eyesight back?"_

"You were pushing the whole idea pretty damn hard last night, don't you think?" Rukia asked, not even bothering to try and keep the anger out of her voice. She was pretty sure Ichigo was baffled by this entire argument.

"I was—"

"_Don't_ say you were just curious," Rukia snapped, pushing herself up. She felt Ichigo grab at her hand, and she jerked away. "Just…leave me alone. Okay? Just leave me _alone_."

She stormed out without another word.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So who thinks Rukia overreacted? I'm sure a lot of you do. See it from her point of view though: she was basically kicked out of her home because she refused to let her brother run her life, and now she's found out that Ichigo's been going behind her back, researching an idea that could change her life, and to her it feels like Ichigo is trying to run her life — in other words, her brother all over again. So yeah, maybe she overreacted a little; that's a little insight into what was going on in her mind though. Anyways, review please? — Sam


	23. Reconnecting With What You Have

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_"You were pushing the whole idea pretty damn hard last night, don't you think?" Rukia asked, not even bothering to try and keep the anger out of her voice. She was pretty sure Ichigo was baffled by this entire argument._

_"I was—"_

_"_Don't _say you were just curious," Rukia snapped, pushing herself up. She felt Ichigo grab at her hand, and she jerked away. "Just…leave me alone. Okay? Just leave me_ alone._"_

_She stormed out without another word._

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day —XXIII**_

—_**:—:—Sunday, September 25**__**th**__**, 2011 –6**__**:32 a.m.**__** —:—:—**_

Ichigo was an idiot.

He'd sat up literally all night, going over the conversation over and over in his mind, trying to figure out what, if anything, he could have done differently. And this was the conclusion he came to.

He was an _idiot_.

He'd _known_ Rukia wouldn't approve of the research; that was exactly why he'd never _told_ her. So then why the hell had he gone and told her? It had ruined everything. Now she was angry at Ichigo, who in turn absolutely hated himself.

Yup. He was an idiot.

And now it was six-thirty in the morning, and he hadn't slept at all, though he had a feeling _that_ was partly because Rukia had slept in the guest room the night before — it had been awhile since he'd slept without her in his arms.

_Damn it_, Ichigo thought as he sat up, running a hand through his hair. Clearly the night was shot. The sun was rising; there was no way he was getting any sleep _now_.

That thought didn't make it any easier to crawl out of bed and get dressed. He grabbed his jacket before heading downstairs. It was still early, of course; everyone else was still asleep.

Ichigo was fine with that. He scribbled out a quick note saying he was going for a walk and would be back whenever, and left it on the counter for Yuzu to find when she came down to make breakfast.

It was surprisingly cold when Ichigo stepped outside. He shivered a bit, zipping his jacket up all the way, and shoved his hands into his pockets, making his way down the street.

_"Is dark out yet?"_

_Ichigo rolled his eyes, smiling faintly. "No, Rukia. It's still not dark out. It wasn't when you asked me five minutes ago, and it won't be when you ask me again in five minutes, so save yourself the trouble."_

_Rukia stuck her tongue out at Ichigo, who grinned. They were currently sitting in Rukia's dorm room. Hinamori had disappeared to find Hitsugaya, who lived in the same building, though on a different floor. Ichigo still had yet to meet his own roommate. Move in day had officially been the day before, but apparently Ichigo's roommate hadn't been able to make it. He was supposed to be moving in today. He and Rukia had spent most of the day in his room, hoping he would show up. He hadn't. Finally they'd given up and gone up to Rukia's room so she could actually unpack her stuff._

_And now that was done. And Rukia was _dying_ to get outside._

_"Is it dark yet?"_

_"_No_, Rukia."_

_Rukia huffed impatiently. "Make the sun go down faster."_

_"Wha…how the hell am I supposed to do _that_?"_

_"I don't know. You claim to be so amazing, so you must be able to do something as simple as make the _sun_ go down, right?" Ichigo gaped at Rukia in disbelief._

_"Are you crazy?"_

_"Probably. I love _you_, don't I?"_

_"…Shut up."_

_Rukia laughed, and Ichigo couldn't stop the small smile that overtook his lips. God he _loved_ her laugh…_

Ichigo sighed, kicking at a small rock that sat in his path. The sun shining over him felt good, beating down on him, warming his skin. The only time he ever really got outside during the day anymore was when Rukia sent him to the main building to get food from the cafeteria.

Not that Ichigo minded.

_"Nice hat."_

_"Shut up or I'll kill you," Renji threatened, glaring at Ichigo, who smirked back._

_"That's not a very nice way to treat your customers, Renji. Honestly, do you talk to _everyone_ like that? How do you still have a job?"_

_"Go to hell. You'd better want something easy."_

_"Hmn…what's the most complicated thing on the menu?" Boy, if looks could have killed. Ichigo chuckled a bit. "Just an order of fries and chicken strips. Don't worry."_

_"Good," Renji grumbled as he went to get the bag of fries and chicken strips out of the freezer._

_"Renji when was the last time you slept?"_

_Renji thought about that for a moment. "What's today?"_

_"Thursday."_

_"Um…probably a week then. Maybe a little more. I think I fell asleep in class yesterday though, I really don't remember."_

_If Renji wasn't so annoying, Ichigo might have felt sorry for him. He worked three part-time jobs on-campus, and one full-time job off campus. Sleep really wasn't a part of his vocabulary._

_But he was annoying. That pretty much killed all of Ichigo's sympathy._

_"So hey, I thought you were a vampire. Isn't it dangerous for you to be out in the sun?" Ichigo rolled his eyes._

_"Yeah, yeah, very funny. You're a real riot, you know that right? At least I get to _sleep_."_

_"Sleep is overrated," Renji said with a slight smirk._

_"Well so is sunlight."_

_"Yeah, maybe." Renji dumped the fries and chicken strips into a basket and put them up on the counter for Ichigo. "I don't know how you do it though. I'd go crazy if I was trapped inside day after day."_

_"It's worth it," Ichigo said simply, grabbing the food and heading over to the cash register. "See ya later."_

It went without saying that Ichigo didn't regret any part of his life since he'd met Rukia — there was absolutely _nothing_ he would change. Even the fact that he almost never got to see the sun anymore didn't really bother him. It was just a part of life now. And none of it mattered in the long run…

As long as he was able to spend forever with Rukia.

_"Wow, look at all the stars! We never get to see stars like this in this Tokyo, huh Shirou-chan?"_

_Hitsugaya grunted something of an agreement. Like Hinamori, he had his eyes focused on the sky. Ichigo smiled at the two of them, then looked down at Rukia, who had her head resting on his leg, her eyes closed; she'd fallen asleep a few minutes earlier. They were sitting out in the courtyard, enjoying a break from classes and star-gazing._

_It was all very relaxing._

_"Oh wow look, the little dipper!"_

_"I think that's the big dipper, Momo."_

_"Are you sure?" Hinamori cocked her head at the stars, clearly confused. "But it looks small…"_

_"How can you _tell_?" Hitsugaya demanded. "It's a shape in the sky!"_

_"Don't you think it looks small Ichigo-kun?"_

_Honestly, Ichigo couldn't tell. He didn't see any kind of dipper, big or small. "I'm going to leave this argument between the two of you," he said, his fingers playing with Rukia's hair. He barely noticed what he was doing._

_"Get out your laptop, we'll look it up."_

_"The battery's dead. Besides, that's definitely the _little_ dipper."_

_Ichigo rolled his eyes, smiling a bit. "Those two could wake up the dead," Rukia muttered suddenly, surprising Ichigo._

_"Well they woke _you_ up. That's a start."_

_"If you're so sure, get _your_ laptop and look it up, prove me wrong."_

_"I don't have my laptop with me."_

_"Fine. Ichigo-kun can we borrow your laptop?"_

_"If it'll shut you up…" He shoved his bag towards them as Rukia sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Go for it."_

_"So which one do you think it is?" Rukia asked curiously._

_"Honestly, I don't know. I was never any good at picking out star constellations, my mother tried to teach me when I was little and…I just couldn't do it."_

_"Too bad." Rukia leaned against Ichigo's arm, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes again. "It might settle this argument a lot faster—"_

_"There! See, it's the _little_ dipper Shirou-chan!"_

_Hinamori gloated about being right, Hitsugaya pouted, and Ichigo just rolled his eyes again, looking down at Rukia. He thought about when his mother had tried to teach him about star constellations. He hadn't been able to sit down long enough to watch his mother trace out the patterns in the sky. He hadn't cared about looking stars. Stars were only out at night, after all. He was always outside during the _day_; he never spent any time outside during the night, unless one of his parents brought him out. He didn't care about the outside world during the nighttime._

_It was ironic to think about now_.

He wouldn't change anything.

It was a conversation they'd had many times, Ichigo and Rukia. She seemed utterly convinced that her presence in his life had ruined everything, and had voiced that thought many times. But Ichigo refused to hear it. And every single time, he told her the same thing: he wouldn't change anything. They loved each other. That was the only thing that mattered.

Nothing needed to be changed.

Ichigo looked up at the sidewalk, surprised to see that he'd somehow made his way to the other side of town — and the sun was starting to set.

_Oops._ He grimaced as he started to turn around. For a moment he was surprised he hadn't received any phone calls. Then he remembered that he'd left his cell-phone at home.

_Great. I'm going to hear about _this_ when I get back…_

_**6:55 p.m.**_

"Rukia-chan?"

Rukia turned her head towards the sound of Yuzu's voice. "Hey Yuzu-chan," she said as easily as she could, pushing herself up. She'd been laying on the guest room bed, reading a book. "What's up? Did Ichigo come back yet?"

"No," Yuzu didn't sound very worried. "I'm sure he's okay though, he probably just lost track of time. He always used to do this, he'd leave for a walk and he wouldn't come back for hours." Yeah, Rukia had noticed that too. "Anyways, supper's ready, you should come down and eat. You didn't have any lunch today."

"All right," Rukia ceded as she closed her book. "I'll be down in a minute."

"'Kay." Silence fell. Rukia thought for a moment Yuzu had headed back to the kitchen. "Hey Rukia-chan?"

"Yeah Yuzu-chan?"

"Are you still mad at Ichi-nii?" Rukia didn't answer. "He didn't mean to upset you. I bet he's really sorry, even if he doesn't say it. He really loves you, you know."

Rukia sighed quietly. "I know he does, Yuzu-chan. I'm not mad at him anymore, don't worry."

"Good." Rukia could tell, without seeing Yuzu's face, that the girl was grinning now. "See you downstairs."

The sound of socked feet on hardwood floors told Rukia that Yuzu had finally walked away.

_"He really loves you, you know."_

Yeah. She knew.

_I'll apologize to him when he gets back_.

_**8:06 p.m.**_

Ichigo took a deep breath, preparing himself to speak…

"Are you going to just stand there all night?"

_Whoosh_ went the air as it flew out of his lungs. "Jesus…how did you know I was here?"

Rukia shrugged as she sat up, closing her laptop. "I'm just that good, I guess. Where've you been, anyways?"

"I was…out for a walk."

"All _day_?"

"I like walking," Ichigo defended himself instantly. Rukia rolled her eyes. "Anyways…lets get out of here for a little bit. You've been trapped inside for the last two days, you're probably going stir-crazy."

"You spent _all day_ walking. Do you really want to go out _again_?"

"Yes," Ichigo replied firmly. He wanted to have a private conversation with her, something that was hard to do in _this_ house. "Unless you don't want to," he added, realizing he might have actually been wrong — or maybe she was just still mad at him. He wouldn't blame her.

"No…I do." The answer surprised him a bit. "Lets go."

Five minutes later they were out of the house and making their way down the street. Ichigo hesitated only a bit before taking her hand, and was pleased when she didn't pull away.

"So where do you want to go, river or park?"

Rukia thought about it for a minute. "River," she said finally, and Ichigo smiled. He'd really been hoping she'd pick the river.

They walked in silence, each wrapped up in their own thoughts, though still completely aware of the other. Ichigo's thoughts were focused mainly on the item currently hiding deep in his jacket pocket. A gift from Isshin — and his mother, in a roundabout way.

_"It was your mom's…give it to Rukia-chan when you're ready."_

By the time they'd gotten to the river, Rukia was more than ready to apologize; the silence was starting to kill her.

"Listen, Ichigo—"

To her surprise, he pressed a finger to her lips, effectively silencing her. "Can I go first?" He asked quietly. She nodded, a bit bewildered. Ichigo pulled in a deep breath before beginning to speak.

"I love you. I know you already know that — I _hope_ you already know that — but it bears repeating. I love you. I love everything about you. Your personality, your smile, your laugh your…_hair_, everything. I love absolutely _everything_ about you, you're my entire world, and I wouldn't change a thing about you. I'm sorry about doing that stupid research, I really didn't mean anything by it, I just…I figured it would upset you, and I didn't want you to think I _wanted_ to change you in any way, and I'm sorry — _really_ sorry — that I hurt you. It was stupid of me. I don't want to change you. I want to be with you exactly the way you are. I don't want anything to change. I just…want us to be together. Forever."

"Ichigo…" Rukia voice drifted off as she realized there was really nothing she could say to any of that. It didn't matter though; Ichigo wasn't done yet. He raised her hand up, and Rukia jumped as she felt him slide something onto her finger.

"Rukia…Will you marry me?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** So…? Whatcha thinkin'? And before you ask, no, this is _not_ the end of the idea of Rukia getting her eyesight back. That comes back full force next chapter. At any rate, review please? Oh, and if you happen to be an FMA fan, stop by my profile - after reviewing this, of course - and check out my newest story, _Long Road Home_. Review please! :D — Sam


	24. To Want More

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_"I love you. I know you already know that — I_ hope_ you already know that — but it bears repeating. I love you. I love everything about you. Your personality, your smile, your laugh your…_hair_, everything. I love absolutely _everything _about you, you're my entire world, and I wouldn't change a thing about you. I'm sorry about doing that stupid research, I really didn't mean anything by it, I just…I figured it would upset you, and I didn't want you to think I_ wanted _to change you in any way, and I'm sorry —_ really _sorry — that I hurt you. It was stupid of me. I don't want to change you. I want to be with you exactly the way you are. I don't want anything to change. I just…want us to be together. Forever."_

_"Ichigo…" Rukia voice drifted off as she realized there was really nothing she could say to any of that. It didn't matter though; Ichigo wasn't done yet. He raised her hand up, and Rukia jumped as she felt him slide something onto her finger._

_"Rukia…Will you marry me?"_

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day —XXIV**_

—_**:—:—Sunday, September 25**__**th**__**, 2011 –8**__**:21 p.m.**__** —:—:—**_

Rukia felt as if something had caught in her throat. Ichigo's voice…his question…were still ringing in her mind.

_"Will you marry me?"_

Why did it sound like such a ridiculous question?

"Yes."

She could barely hear her own voice. She wasn't sure how _Ichigo_ managed to.

"_Yes_!"

And then Rukia was _literally_ swept off her feet as Ichigo scooped her up, spinning her around. They were both laughing as he set her down again, and then he was pressing his lips against hers, and they were kissing, and Rukia couldn't remember the last time she'd felt _quite_ this weightless and joyful. Probably never.

"God do I love you," Ichigo murmured as they pulled apart, and he hugged Rukia tightly against his chest. "I love you so, so much."

"I love you too, silly," Rukia said quietly. "Why do you think I said yes?"

Ichigo laughed, pressing his lips against the top of her head. They stayed like that for a long time, wrapped in each other's arms, just enjoying the fact that they were _together_. Together and engaged.

They were _engaged_.

The thought hit Rukia for the first time. "Oh wow…" She whispered finally. "_Wow_."

"Wow," Ichigo agreed, kissing her again.

"You just asked me to marry you."

"Yup."

"We're engaged."

"Ahuh. Don't tell me you're already regretting saying yes."

Rukia laughed, pushing herself onto her tiptoes and pressing her lips to Ichigo's. "Why would I regret saying yes to you?" She asked quietly, her lips moving against his. "I love you."

They were engaged. They were _engaged_. Rukia had just agreed to spend the rest of her life with Ichigo.

How could she regret that?

_**11:55 p.m.**_

"Oh _wow_!"

And then Rukia was being tackled as Momo threw her arms around her raven-haired friend's neck, hugging her tightly. "Oh wow, wow, _wow_! Congratulations Rukia-san, this is great!"

"What are you going to tell your brother?" Hitsugaya spoke up from his spot on Momo's bed. There was a funny _flump_-like sound, most likely as Momo threw a pillow at the boy.

"Don't even worry about that Rukia-san, who cares what your brother thinks? _You're_ happy, right?"

"Of course."

"Than that's all that matters!" And with that Momo tackled Rukia again, wrapping her in another tight hug. "Congratulations Rukia-san! So are you going to his room tonight or is he coming over here?"

"Do you mind if he comes over here?"

"Definitely not," Momo replied at once. Rukia saw Ichigo being tackled in the very near future.

_Knock-Knock_

"It's open," Momo called; Rukia's bed bounced, presumably as Momo jumped up to run over to the door.

"Be careful Ichigo—"

"_Oof_!"

Rukia cringed, realizing she was too late to save Ichigo from being attacked. "O-Ow…hi Hinamori-san….ow…"

"Momo if you suffocate him you're not going to have much to celebrate," Hitsugaya said calmly.

"Yes, what he said, listen to what he said, ow—"

"Momo-san!" Rukia laughed, falling back on her pillow. "Let him go, I like him alive. I can't marry him if he's dead."

"You guys are getting _married_!" Momo squealed. The muted sound of socked feet bouncing against the floor echoed through the room. "Oh my god, this is so exciting, have you guys set a date, what did Ichigo's family say, oh you should call Hisana, she's going to want to know—"

"Come on Momo, lets go get food," Hitsugaya said suddenly. "Come on, get your shoes on, lets go, I'm hungry…"

Rukia smiled as Momo grudgingly dug her shoes out from under the bed. "You guys want us to bring you back anything?"

"Nah, I'm good," Ichigo said. A _thump_ close to the edge of Rukia's bed, presumably as Ichigo dropped his bag on the floor.

"No thanks," Rukia said with a slight smile.

"We'll be back soon," Hitsugaya said as two pairs of footsteps carried him and Hinamori to the door, which squeaked as it was opened.

"But not _too_ soon," Hinamori added right before the door closed. There was a click as they locked it behind them.

"She is such a naughty girl," Rukia said with a grin. There was a beat of silence, and then a pair of familiar lips pressed themselves against Rukia's. She laughed a bit before returning the kiss, reaching her arms up and snaking them around Ichigo's neck, falling back on her bed and pulling him down with her. "You're not much better," she said with a slightly breathless laugh as Ichigo pulled away again.

"How long do you think they'll be gone for?"

"Knowing Momo-san and how long it takes her to decide what she wants to eat, I'd say three hours at least."

"Well that's plenty of time."

And with that his lips were against hers again, more forcefully than before. Rukia smiled as she parted her lips just slightly, letting her tongue slip out to run along his lips.

—_**:—:—Monday, September 26**__**th**__**, 2011 –1**__**:15 a.m.**__** —:—:—**_

Rukia sighed as she rolled over to face Ichigo, nestling against his broad, bare chest. She raised a finger to trace along his pecs, and she grinned. All the time he'd spent in the gym had _really_ paid off…

"I love you," she whispered, despite the fact that she knew he'd fallen asleep just a few minutes earlier; he'd practically been in the middle of the sentence when his voice had suddenly dropped off. He was tired. Rukia was about ninety-nine percent certain he hadn't slept the night before, when they'd been apart.

If Rukia was honest with herself, she'd admit _she_ was tired too, and just try to sleep for a few hours. But she was more interested in tracing her fingers along the reachable aspects of her boyfriend's — _fiancé's _she corrected herself silently — body.

_I wonder what he looks like_.

The thought was so out of left field, Rukia couldn't figure out where the hell it had come from. She blinked a couple of times, her blind eyes widening as she realized what she'd just thought.

She'd been blind her entire life. Never once had she even _thought_ about wondering what something looked like. She'd accepted the fact that she would never see, and had never left room in her mind to _wonder_ about it, instead focusing on different aspects, mainly sound and smell. The idea of _wondering_ what something looked like was pretty much foreign to her.

But as she sat there, running her fingers along Ichigo's jaw, she found herself thinking the same thing over and over, like it was a mantra: _I wonder what he looks like_.

_Stop thinking about it_, she tried to tell herself firmly. _He's told you what he's looked like, that should be good enough for you. It's always been good enough before_._ Get over this_.

She shook her head as her hand came to a rest over Ichigo's cheek. She was sure he didn't do himself justice; he didn't seem to believe he was overly attractive. And though Rukia teased him about it often enough, she didn't believe him for a second. Her fingers had never lied to her before, after all.

Rukia sighed as she rolled on to her back, holding her hand up over her head. She'd figured out a long time ago that she was naturally shorter, more petite, than most of the people around her. Ichigo's sisters were about her height, as far as she could tell. Same with Hitsugaya and Hinamori. But even without Ichigo constantly chiding her, she knew she was tinier than just about everybody else. And she'd figured that out just by _listening_ to other people's voices. She didn't need to be able to see. She'd gotten through her entire life without being able to see. She'd never wanted more. She shouldn't want more now.

_Why did I get so angry at him before?_ She wondered silently as she tilted her head towards Ichigo. _He was just curious_…

And honestly, so was she now. _Damn it,_ she fumed as she sat up. She groped around on the floor, finding Ichigo's shirt and slipping it on over her head. She walked over to her desk, carefully pulling her chair out and collapsing into it. Why was she even considering this? It didn't matter. It had never mattered before, and it shouldn't matter now.

"Rukia?"

Ichigo's thick, sleep-laced voice jerked Rukia out of her thoughts, and she turned her head to face him. "What're you doing over there?" He mumbled; the bed squeaked as he sat up. Rukia tried to smile and make a joke out of it.

"You were hogging the bed again, you kicked me out."

Ichigo made a noise in the back of his throat. "Sorry. Come lay back down. Or do you want to get up, we can go for a walk or get food or something…"

"Nah, lets just hang out here for a bit," Rukia said as she stood up, walking back over to the bed. Ichigo arms looped around her waist before she'd even sat down, pulling her onto the bed and cradling her against his chest.

"Mrs. Rukia Kurosaki."

Rukia laughed as her head came to a rest on Ichigo's shoulder. "How does it sound to you?" She asked, amused.

"Like the best thing I've ever heard." Ichigo replied happily.

"Funny, I was going to say the same thing."

Rukia shook her head, twisting around to press her lips against Ichigo's shoulder. "Oohh, are we doing this again?" He asked, sounding a bit eager. Rukia laughed again, shaking her head slowly.

"Do you ever think about anything else?"

"On occasion I tend to think about how much I love you."

"You're only saying that because you're hoping I'll change my mind about having sex." Ichigo paused. "Exactly. I'm no fool, Kurosaki."

"Well _that_ remains to be seen." Rukia raised a hand, slapping him upside the head. He groaned. "Hey, that was uncalled for. If you'd let me finish my sentence, I was _going_ to ask what you'd call a girl who falls in love with me."

"Hopelessly misguided."

Ichigo chuckled, pressing his lips against the top of Rukia's head. "Fair enough."

They sat in silence for a few, Rukia completely and utterly comfortable, as always. So then _why_ was her mind still trying to nag her about the idea of what Ichigo _looked_ like. It didn't matter. It _couldn't_ matter.

Could it?

"Hey…Ichigo?"

"Yeah?"

Rukia pulled in a deep breath, trying to figure out the best way to go about approaching this subject. She wasn't even sure it was a good idea…

"I was just…wondering…you know that research you did?"

Ichigo stiffened a bit, probably wondering if Rukia was going to start yelling again. "Yeah…?" His voice was hesitant now. Rukia closed her eyes, taking another breath.

"How did…I mean…what did you find?"

* * *

**Author's Note:** So…? What do you think? Good? Bad? Should I just give up here? Review and let me know what you think! — Sam


	25. Mending Broken Ties

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_"Hey…Ichigo?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_Rukia pulled in a deep breath, trying to figure out the best way to go about approaching this subject. She wasn't even sure it was a good idea…_

_"I was just…wondering…you know that research you did?"_

_Ichigo stiffened a bit, probably wondering if Rukia was going to start yelling again. "Yeah…?" His voice was hesitant now. Rukia closed her eyes, taking another breath._

_"How did…I mean…what did you find?"_

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day —XXV**_

—_**:—:—Monday, September 26**__**th**__**, 2011 –1**__**:32 a.m.**__** —:—:—**_

Ichigo's mouth was basically on the floor.

"What…I…what do you mean?"

Rukia shifted a bit, hesitation clear on her face. "I'm just…curious." She was a terrible liar. "I mean, you must have done a lot of research, right? Did you find anything positive? I mean…did you…"

Realization set in as Rukia stumbled over her words, her voice eventually drifting off. "You want to know…about getting your eyesight back?" His disbelief turned the words into a question. Rukia nodded slowly. Ichigo just stared at her, not quite sure what to say. Why in the world was she suddenly curious about this? The other day she'd yelled at him for this, why the change of heart?

"Ichigo?"

The boy in question snapped out of his reverie as Rukia recalled his attention to her. "I…what do you want to know? _Why_ do you want to know?"

_Knock-Knock_

Rukia's words were cut off by knuckles wrapping against the door. "I'm coming iiii-iiin," Momo sang as she stuck her key in the doorknob, twisting and unlocking it. Ichigo reached around Rukia and touching his hand to the floor to try and find his boxers. He slipped them on just as Momo walked in. "Not interrupting anything, am I?" Momo asked with a slight twinkle in her eyes, taking in Rukia wearing only Ichigo's shirt, and Ichigo's lack of clothes in general.

"No, we were just waking up," Rukia said. If Momo caught the twisted tone of Rukia's voice, she didn't call her on it, choosing instead to go over to her desk and start packing her bag. "Where's Hitsugaya-kun?"

"He went back to his room, his roommate's off at some party or something, we're going to spend the night in his room." Momo winked at Ichigo as she packed her clothes. "Give you two some privacy."

Ichigo smiled weakly; Rukia didn't even bother trying. Finally Momo seemed to get that something was wrong. "Okay, what's wrong? Did you two have a fight or something?"

"No, Momo-san," Rukia said. She sounded a bit annoyed, much to Ichigo's surprise. "We were just talking about something important, that's all."

Momo looked a bit taken aback by her friend's shortness. "Okay…sorry. I'll just leave you two to it then."

She slipped out of the room with another word, looking a bit hurt. "Rukia…"

"I'll apologize to her later," Rukia said as Ichigo's voice drifted off. She still looked fairly annoyed, but Ichigo could tell she felt bad about snapping at Momo, who hadn't really done anything to deserve it. "Now, about your research—"

"Why do you want to know?" Ichigo asked, cutting Rukia off. "I thought you were happy with the way things are."

"I am. I just…I don't know. I want to know. It's not bad to just want to _know_ something, right? You were _just curious_, remember? Why can't I be too?"

"You can be, of _course_ you can be," Ichigo replied quickly. "You just…never were before. Now all of a sudden…"

"I never had a reason to be curious before," Rukia pointed out. "Or a way of finding out, Nee-san and…Nii-sama," her voice twisted a bit when she referred to her brother, "never would have helped me."

Well Ichigo wasn't about to argue with her on that point. He also wasn't going to withhold any of the information he found out. It _was_ about her after all. She deserved any answers he could give her.

"Okay. What exactly do you want to know?"

_**5:42 p.m.**_

_Ring…Ring…Ring…_

"_Hello, Kuchiki residence_."

Rukia's stomach flipped. Did Hisana even _remember_ how to answer the phone anymore? "Hi…Nii-sama," she muttered, a bit annoyed. There was no doubt in her mind that Hisana made Byakuya answer the phone all the time in hopes of getting him to talk to their little sister. "Is Nee-san there?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line. "_One moment_," Byakuya replied finally, his voice stiff. "_Hisana_, _there's a phone call for you_."

"_Who is it?_" Rukia heard her sister say. Silence. Rukia may as well have not had a name.

Finally, a sigh as Hisana took the phone. "_You're such a baby Nii-sama. Hey Rukia, what's up?_"

"Hey Nee-san," Rukia mumbled, ducking her head. She kind of wished she'd waited to make this phone call until Ichigo came back from getting food. But she knew this was something she had to do alone. "I, um…need to talk to you about something."

"_Well this doesn't sound good_." Hisana sounded worried now. "_Did something happen?_"

She was careful not to use Ichigo's name. Byakuya must have still been in the room. "It's not what you're thinking," Rukia promised. "Nothing to do with Ichigo. Well…it is. Kind of. In a good way. I don't know, it's a long story."

"_Okay Rukia. Stop talking_." Rukia did as she was told. "_Now take a deep breath. Think about what you want to say. Put it into words in your head. And then try to say them out-loud_."

Rukia pulled in a deep breath, swallowing. "I…need to talk to you. In person. This isn't really a conversation for the phone. Is there any way you could come out to campus tonight?"

Hisana hesitated for a moment. "_Rukia, what's going on? Is everything okay?_"

"Everything is fine, I promise. I just have to talk to you. Please."

A pause. "_Fine_," Hisana said finally. "_What time do you want me to come?_"

"Is nine-thirty okay?" Ichigo would be in class. Rukia would be able to talk to Hisana alone. Which was exactly what she wanted.

"_Nine-thirty is fine. Meet you at the college center?_"

"Yeah, that'd be great. Thanks Nee-san."

"_Of course, Rukia_." No doubt Hisana was dying to find out what was going on with her sister. "_I'll see you then_."

"See you." Rukia sighed as she hung up. She barely had five seconds to collect herself before the door was opening.

"Damn Renji overcharged me, that ass, see if I let him copy my notes again…" Ichigo grumbled as the door shut behind him.

"It was probably an accident," Rukia said lightly as Ichigo set the food down on the bed. She snatched a French fry, popping it into her mouth.

"He was laughing."

"Probably not an accident then," Rukia admitted. Already her decision not to tell Ichigo about Hisana coming was wavering. She didn't like keeping secrets from him. And of course he would find out eventually. But Rukia really wanted to do this on her own. That was why she'd chosen a time for Hisana to come when Ichigo would be in class. But he would skip if he thought he needed to be there.

And if Ichigo knew what Rukia wanted to talk to Hisana about, he would definitely think he needed to be there.

_**9:35 p.m.**_

"You're en_gaged_?" Rukia jumped as her sister's shocked — yet delighted — voice snapped her back to reality. She'd known, when she'd decided against taking the ring off for the duration of Hisana's visit — that her sister would instantly jump to that conclusion. Not that she was wrong. "When did _that_ happen?"

"That's not what I wanted to talk to you about," Rukia informed Hisana pointedly. She hesitated for a moment before asking, "You're not…upset about it, are you?"

"Are you waiting until you graduate college?"

"Of course," Rukia replied at once. They hadn't really _talked_ about it yet, but Rukia knew Ichigo was going to want to wait at _least_ until they had graduated college. That wasn't even taking into consideration the fact that Ichigo was eventually planning to go to med school. He might want to wait until even after _that_.

"Then I'm thrilled." She really _did_ sound genuinely happy. Rukia smiled a bit despite herself. Her smile widened when Hisana wrapped her arms around her shoulders, hugging her tightly. "So I'm _not_ here to talk about how I'm supposed to break the news to our brother?"

Rukia shuddered. "No, we're not telling him, that's not even an issue."

"Rukia…" _Now_ Hisana sounded a bit disapproving. She really couldn't blame Rukia though. Byakuya disapproved of every single aspect of Rukia's relationship with Ichigo. He'd probably boycott the wedding. Rukia didn't want him having any part of it — and that included him having _knowledge_ of it. "Fine. We don't tell Nii-sama." Rukia heard a chair scrape against linoleum as Hisana pulled it out, sitting down at the table across from Rukia. "So what's up kiddo?"

Rukia took a deep breath, tapping her fingers against the table. "I…I want to try and get my eyesight back."

Silence followed her words. "You…_what_?" Hisana said finally. There was a note of heavy shock in her voice, coupled with something Rukia couldn't really identify. She sighed as she tried to explain.

"Ichigo…he was curious, he did this research, and he told me about it, and I…it just got me thinking. Nee-san I don't want to spend the rest of my life blind. Not if there's a way to get my sight back."

Hisana was quiet for a minute. When she spoke again, Rukia was easily able to identify the anger in her voice. "Ichigo isn't forcing you into this, is he?"

"What?" Rukia was a bit taken by the question. "No, of course not, he would never _force_ me to do anything — he never _could_, I wouldn't let him. Anyways he doesn't even know I'm talking to you, he's in class right now. This doesn't have anything to do with him, Nee-san. This is about _me_."

"You've never cared about being able to see before," Hisana argued instantly.

"I never had a reason to before," Rukia shot back, annoyed. She didn't need her sister's _permission_ for this after all. She was an adult, she could do what she wanted.

"And now you do?" Hisana sounded disbelieving. Rukia huffed.

"Yes." Rukia paused, waiting for Hisana to respond. When she didn't, Rukia went on. "Nee-san look around you. I'm in _college_. I have friends, I have a boyfriend that I love, that I'm going to _marry_ someday. I have a _life_ — so much more than I _ever_ hoped to have. When I used to imagine my future, I imagined living with you or Nii-sama — though I'll admit, preferably you. And by the way, that was if I even managed to live to see the end of high school. What would be the point of trying to get my eyesight back for _that_? Of _course_ I never cared before. Things are different now though. I have a life _worth_ seeing."

Hisana didn't seem to know what to say to that. "Rukia…" Her voice sounded hesitant. "Do you even know…there are _so_ many complications, so many things that could go wrong if you were to even try to undergo this surgery…"

"Yeah, I know, Ichigo told me—" Rukia cut herself off as she realized exactly what her sister had just said. "What…wait a minute. What do _you_ know about it?" Hesitation was practically _vibrating_ in the air around the two sisters. Hisana didn't answer. "Did _you_ do research about it too?" Rukia asked after a moment, struggling to keep her voice even.

"Of course not," Hisana snapped. She sounded insulted that Rukia would even suggest such a thing. "It…wasn't me?"

"Nii-sama?" Rukia couldn't imagine Byakuya wasting his time doing research and never trying to follow through on it. But then again, she'd never really imagined her brother throwing her out of the house either…

"No." Hisana sighed heavily. "Mom and Dad. After they died, I was cleaning out Dad's study…and I found an entire drawer just _full_ of folders that had all kinds of research on XP and the complication of losing eyesight to it and how possible it would be to get that eyesight _back_. They found all these stories online about successful cases, failures, they had lists of doctors who specialized in XP and doctors who specialized in restoring eyesight and there were notebooks full of notes that they took from the research they'd done…I was actually _really_ impressed by the amount of dedication there was. You could tell just by looking at it that they hadn't done it because they just thought it was something parents _should_ do. They were really fighting to give you a normal life." Hisana paused for a moment. "They even had a bank account for it. They were saving money, because the insurance wouldn't cover that kind of surgery."

Rukia's mouth was pretty much on the floor by this time. "They…they…" She thought about the memories she had of her parents. They hadn't been _cold_, per-say — certainly nothing like the icy personality of their oldest son. But they'd avoided Rukia quite a bit, not knowing what to really _do_ with her — and Rukia knew, through Hisana, that her mother had always felt guilty for the role she'd played in the loss of her youngest daughter's eyesight. But to hear all of this… "Really?"

"Yeah." She could tell, from the sound of her sister's voice, that Hisana was smiling. Well. This was certainly quite a bit to take in. Only one thought was sticking out in Rukia's mind now.

"Do you still have the research?"

_**11:04 p.m.**_

"Ichigo asked Rukia to marry him."

Byakuya's head snapped up to look at Hisana, his eyes wide. "_What_?"

"You heard me. And before you go pick up that phone and call Rukia to yell at her, you're going to shut up and listen to me." Past experience told Byakuya to do what his sister told him to. "She told me not to tell you, so you're not allowed to give her hell about it. Actually, you're not allowed to give her hell about it either way. Maybe you haven't _noticed_, but she really loves that boy, and he really loves her too. So whether you like it or not, it's _going_ to happen — and I know what you're thinking, they're _going_ to wait until after college, don't worry. But they're going to get married some day, whether you like it or not. And if you decide not to approve, you're going to lose her. It's not too late to make amends. And no matter what you say, I know you love her, Nii-sama. She's your baby sister. You're just going to have to learn to accept that you were wrong about Ichigo and let it go. You don't want to lose her forever, do you?"

Byakuya was quiet for a moment. Finally he stood up and went into the kitchen, picking up the phone. Hisana smiled, knowing exactly what number the man was dialing. There'd be plenty of time to tell him about his baby sister's life-changing decision later.

"Hello…Rukia. It's Byakuya."

Tonight was a night for mending broken ties. Everything else could wait.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So…today's my birthday. And I really like reviews. You can put two and two together, right? ;-) Hehe, review please! — Sam


	26. Making Things Work

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_Byakuya was quiet for a moment. Finally he stood up and went into the kitchen, picking up the phone. Hisana smiled, knowing exactly what number the man was dialing. There'd be plenty of time to tell him about his baby sister's life-changing decision later._

_"Hello…Rukia. It's Byakuya."_

_Tonight was a night for mending broken ties. Everything else could wait._

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day —XXVI**_

—_**:—:—Saturday, October 1**__**st**__**, 2011 –9**__**:00 p.m.**__** —:—:—**_

Rukia was rocking back and forth on her heels, her hands clasped tightly behind her back, her blind eyes pulled tightly together. Ichigo was getting nervous just _watching_ her. He couldn't help it. She was just giving off that kind of vibe.

"Rukia…hold still. You're going to bounce into the street at this rate. Your brother and sister won't be too impressed with me if I let their baby sister get run over by a car." That didn't do anything to still Rukia's bouncing. Ichigo sighed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her against him. She continued to bounce under his grip, though at least _now_ Ichigo was assured she wouldn't be bouncing into the street any time soon.

"What time is it?" She demanded for the millionth time. Ichigo looked down at his watch.

"Well lets see, it was eight-fifty-eight last time you asked me _three minutes ago_. What time do you think it is _now_?"

Rukia huffed, bouncing a little more, her fingers playing with her ring. Ichigo smiled a bit when he saw that. It was one of her few nervous habits that _didn't_ make him want to pull his hair out. It meant she was comfortable with having the ring there. That she _liked_ having it there.

And Ichigo was okay with that.

"They're late. Nii-sama is never late. Maybe they're not coming. What if they're not coming? What if he decided—"

Rukia was abruptly cut off as Ichigo leaned in, pressing his lips against hers and effectively silencing the onslaught of words. For a moment Rukia actually managed to forget that her possible doom was coming towards them. She sighed silently as she looped her arms around Ichigo's neck, giving herself leverage to deep the kiss.

"Hey, hey, hey you two. That's what your bedrooms are for."

The two in question jumped as they pulled apart and whirled around to face Hisana and Byakuya. The former was watching them with some amusement twinkling in her violet eyes, and she was smiling. The latter was staring at the ground.

Rukia's face was burning red as she quickly jumped back from Ichigo, her eyes wide with horror. Ichigo would have laughed, if Rukia hadn't been so thoroughly embarrassed by being caught.

"H-Hello Nee-san," she mumbled, staring hard at the ground, rocking back on her heels. "Nii-sama."

"Rukia." Byakuya returned his sister's greeting dryly. Ichigo tried to ignore the scrutinizing look his fiancé's brother was giving _him_. It wasn't easy. Luckily Hisana came to the rescue — more specifically, her foot. Byakuya cringed as her foot came down on his toes, and turned to glare at her. She, in turn, smiled back in the most _innocent_ way. As if Byakuya would fall for it.

While the older Kuchiki siblings were locked in their staring contest, Ichigo turned his eyes to look at the messenger bag Hisana had thrown over her shoulder. Inside the bag, he assumed, was the reason Rukia's siblings were there.

"Come on, lets get inside. It's cold out here."

They made their way silently into the dorm building and settled down at one of the tables in the lobby. Ichigo's eyes just about fell out of his head when he saw the folder Hisana had been carrying in her bag.

"…Wow."

Hisana laughed at Ichigo's response. "Yeah, I said the same thing when I first saw it. Mom and Dad really knew how to get obsessed about something, huh? I swear they'd been doing this research since Rukia was baby, there's so _much_…"

She opened the folder, revealing the papers inside. Ichigo stared at the topmost packet, his eyes taking in the different colored highlighters that had been applied to the page years upon years earlier, and the notes that had been scribbled in the margins in unfamiliar handwriting.

"_Wow_."

"Is that the only word in your vocabulary Kurosaki-kun?" Hisana teased. Of the four people present, she was the only one that was _actually_ comfortable. Ichigo was just trying not to say something that would make Byakuya kill him (and God knew _that_ was a short list). Byakuya was staring at the folder full of papers, his lips pressed tightly together, though for once he didn't look like he was angry at the fact that he had to be in close proximity with his baby sister's boyfriend. And Rukia was just staring at the table, looking as if she would enjoy it very much if the floor would just open up and swallow her.

"Nee-san stop teasing him," Rukia mumbled now. Hisana just laughed. Ichigo wondered how the hell she could manage to be so calm in such a freaking _tense_ situation.

She seemed okay with it though. That was the magic of being Kuchiki Hisana though, Ichigo supposed. She could be okay with anything.

"So I spent some time going through this stuff over the week, there's a list of doctors in the mess somewhere, there's actually one who practices right out of Tokyo…"

Hisana did most of the talking, much to everyone's relief. Ichigo spoke up every now and then when he had a question, and once in awhile Rukia would pipe up with an opinion about something. Byakuya never spoke. Ichigo wondered if he was just there because Hisana was forcing him. It wouldn't have surprised Ichigo. She had a way of forcing people to do things, even if they didn't want to.

"All right, too much seriousness," Hisana said after almost an hour. "I have an idea, Rukia why don't you show Nii-sama your room? He hasn't seen it yet."

Two raven-haired heads snapped up to look at Hisana (so to speak, in Rukia's case), disbelief visible in both pairs of violet eyes. "What?" They said in one voice. Ichigo almost had to laugh. Hisana certainly didn't have a problem with expressing her amusement at the situation.

"Yeah, you know, you two aren't related or anything, are you? Go on, you're just a couple of lumps down here anyways, it's not like you're contributing. And Byakuya should see where his baby sister is living."

Rukia looked very reluctant as she stood up, turning her blind eyes back to the floor. "You sure that's a good idea?" Ichigo asked uncertainly as he watched Rukia carefully lead Byakuya down the halls that led to the rooms. Hisana just smiled.

"They need to be alone for a few minutes. Talking on the phone and being around the two of us is going to help them fix their relationship."

"Not that they ever really had one," Ichigo mumbled, thinking about what Rukia had told him about growing up with Byakuya. Hisana's smile turned a bit sad.

"Byakuya never really knew what to do around her, it's true. The man's a genius, but when it comes to people he's as clueless as a writing major at a mathematics convention." Ichigo chuckled a bit at the comparison. He knew a couple of writing majors. Hisana wasn't completely off base. "It's probably too late for them to ever _really_ have a relationship. But it'd be nice if they would at least _speak _again. I miss having Rukia around the house, especially around the holidays."

Ichigo smiled a bit. Hisana really was an amazing sister.

Momo's eyes basically fell out of her head when she saw Byakuya walk in to the room behind Rukia. "Wow, Ichigo, did you do something with your hair and face?"

"_Momo-san_," Rukia reprimanded the shocked girl quietly. Momo quickly snapped her mouth shut, blinking a couple of times.

"It's um…nice to see you again, Byakuya-sama."

"And you, Hinamori-san."

Byakuya looked around the small room. It was mostly impersonal on Rukia's side — of course, Rukia had never felt the need for pictures or posters. It was easy to tell where Rukia's side ended and Hinamori's side began, of course. "It looks like you could use a housekeeper there, Hinamori-san," Byakuya cracked dryly. Hinamori laughed, clearly pleased by the joke.

"Well Rukia hasn't tripped and killed herself yet, so I think it's okay."

"I know enough to stay away from Momo-san's side," Rukia assured her brother. "You learn things when you live with a person for a year and a half. And if I want to stay alive for the next two years I'm going to _have_ to learn."

"Someday I'll clean," Momo promised.

"I'll hold my breath for that one."

"You might turn blue waiting, but hey, whatever floats your boat, right?" Byakuya listened to the back and forth argument with some bit of amusement. Hinamori and Rukia had always gotten along, of course. But something about living together throughout the school years had deepened their relationship.

And it was nice to see Rukia with a friend.

"Anyways," Momo said as she bent over to put on her shoes, "I was just leaving, I was going to meet Shirou-chan down at the cafeteria."

"All right. Hey, my sister's down in the lobby, make sure you say hello to her, she'll be insulted if she finds out you walked past her without acknowledging her presence."

"And lord knows you never insult Kuchiki Hisana," Momo said with a laugh. "Okay, I'll make sure to say hi. See you later. It was nice to see you again Byakuya-sama."

"You too Hinamori-san."

Byakuya didn't miss the confused look that crossed Hinamori's features as she left the room. "I think Hisana played us," Byakuya said after a minute, turning to look at his little sister, who laughed dryly.

"Yeah, she does that sometimes. She's good at manipulating people."

"She got that from Dad."

"Somehow I'm not surprised."

Byakuya looked his youngest sister over with some apprehension, wondering what he was supposed to say next.

_"Just _talk_ to her," Hisana coaxed her older brother as she nudged him towards their five year old sister's room. "Let her know she _does_ have a brother. It's not as hard as you and Mom and Dad make it, she's a person just like the rest of us. And just like the rest of us sometimes she needs human interaction. Tell her about your day, she always loves it when I do that, she loves hearing about school and stuff."_

_Byakuya sighed reluctantly as Hisana shoved him into Rukia's room. She looked up at the sound of the scuffle, her blind eyes landing on Byakuya. And suddenly, Byakuya was tongue-tied, all of Hisana's suggestions flying out the window._

"Do you love him?"

Byakuya wasn't completely sure where the question came from. To say Rukia was shocked by the question was an absolute understatement. "Yes," she responded quietly after a moment. "Very much. And I know what _you_ think of him, and I'm sorry you feel that way, but…I have to live my life _my_ way. Even if it's not exactly the way you want it."

Byakuya closed his eyes for a moment, letting the darkness enclose him. "I just want what's best for you."

"That's what you always say. But who knows better what's best for me than _me_?" Byakuya didn't know what to say to that. "You know Ichigo wants to be a doctor." Byakuya's eyes snapped open; he turned to look at his sister, surprise etched into his normally emotionless face. "Or at least you _would_ know if you ever bothered to ask. He's wanted to be a doctor for years, ever since his mother died. He wants to help people. And he's _really_ smart too, he's been getting basically perfect grades ever since we started college. He knows what he's doing, Nii-sama. And he really, really _does_ love me. Even if you won't accept it."

Byakuya nodded, knowing full-well Rukia couldn't see him. No, he didn't like Ichigo. And he probably never _really _would.

_"He makes her happy. Isn't that worth anything to you?"_

Byakuya sighed. Before Rukia could ask what was wrong, a pair of strong arms had wrapped themselves around her tiny body, pulling her tightly against a broad chest. Rukia's eyes widened for a moment as she tried to process exactly what was happening here. Byakuya…was…_hugging_…her. Had she fallen and hit her head, was she hallucinating?

She almost opened her mouth to say something, but finally decided against ruining the moment and instead just returned the hug, smiling softly. For the first time in her entire life, her brother was _actually_ acting like a brother. She wasn't going to ruin it.

"So have _you_ decided yet what you want to do with your life?" Byakuya asked as they pulled apart. It went without saying, of course, that they would _never_ speak about what had just transpired between them. What happened in Rukia's dorm room stayed in Rukia's dorm room, so to speak.

"Well…yes…but if I tell you, you have to promise not say anything to Nee-san yet."

Byakuya blinked, surprised. "What? Why?"

"Because once she finds out I'm never going to live it down." Byakuya waited. "I was…kind of thinking about maybe…going into Psychology."

There was a beat of silence…then, to Rukia's absolute, utter surprise, Byakuya laughed shortly. "Don't laugh!" She protested unhappily. "I've taken a couple of Psych classes, and I just _like _it, it's the first thing I've ever _really_ enjoyed about school…"

"Hisana's going to have a field day with this, you realize that right?"

Rukia sighed, pretending to be put out, but inside she was laughing. This was the first _normal_ conversation she'd ever had with Byakuya.

Maybe it wasn't _completely_ hopeless for them.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So I know there wasn't a lot of IchiRuki in this chapter, but the Rukia-Byakuya sibling stuff was important, I needed to get it all out there. Anyways next chapter we get more IchiRuki — and even better, we're introduced to Momo the Wedding Planner. Come on, you can't say no to that, can you? Anyways, review please, thoughts on this chapter would be great, especially the last scene. Words can't describe how hard that was to write. Also, I'm back in school again, so updates might be coming a bit slower now. I'm going to do my best though, promise. Review please! — Sam


	27. A Stroke of Luck

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_There was a beat of silence…then, to Rukia's absolute, utter surprise, Byakuya laughed shortly. "Don't laugh!" She protested unhappily. "I've taken a couple of Psych classes, and I just _like_ it, it's the first thing I've ever _really _enjoyed about school…"_

_"Hisana's going to have a field day with this, you realize that right?"_

_Rukia sighed, pretending to be put out, but inside she was laughing. This was the first _normal _conversation she'd ever had with Byakuya._

_Maybe it wasn't_ completely _hopeless for them._

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day —XXVII**_

—_**:—:—Monday, October 10**__**th**__**, 2011 –10**__**:32 a.m.**__** —:—:—**_

"Oh, look at this one!"

"Easier said than done, Momo-san."

"Oh, right. Oops." Momo giggled, and Rukia rolled her eyes as she heard the magazine page turn. "Now you said no to a long train, right?"

"Yes. Absolutely yes. Put a long train on me and I'm calling this wedding off. And you can't say I didn't warn you."

Momo laughed quietly, turning the page again. "_Oooohhh_," Momo's breath seemed to catch in her throat. "Hey Ichigo-kun, don't you think this would look good on Rukia-san?"

Ichigo sighed loudly. "Hinamori for the last time, I am _not_ the person to ask about these things."

"So who _can_ I ask?" Momo demanded unhappily. "Rukia can't see the dresses, and you're not being any help at all."

"Tell you what: when you go home this weekend go over to my house and talk about it with Hisana. She'll give you plenty of opinions."

There was a moment of silence. Suddenly Momo squealed, making Rukia jump, and threw herself at her raven-haired friend, hugging her tightly. "You're getting _married_!" She shouted, tightening her grip. Rukia choked and spluttered, trying to catch her breath.

"Hinamori…she can't breathe…"

Rukia was incredibly grateful when Momo finally released her. "You _do_ realize you just gave her permission for her to go to Hisana and plan our wedding…right?" Ichigo mumbled as he wrapped an arm around Rukia's shoulder, tucking her into his grip. Rukia thought about this for a moment…and groaned.

"Why do you let me _speak_?"

"Because if I told you to shut up you'd probably hit me." Rukia considered this for a minute. Yeah, he was right. She would.

"Hey, hey, hey," Momo piped up suddenly, completely oblivious to the conversation her friends had been having. "Have you two decided on a date yet? You guys need to have a date, a date is the most important part, if you don't have a date you can't decide on location, dress-type—"

Rukia had never been quite so grateful to hear her dorm room door open. "Got food," Hitsugaya said as he walked in, effectively silencing Momo. "Who got what again?"

Wedding planning was abandoned in favor of the food. Rukia leaned back against the wall behind her bed, munching on her French fries and listening to Momo chat aimlessly with Hitsugaya. "When _do_ you want to get married?" Ichigo asked suddenly, surprising Rukia. She thought about this for a minute, twisting a French fry in her fingers.

"March third," she finally decided. She knew without seeing his face that the answer confused Ichigo.

"Why March third?"

Rukia smirked. "Think really, really hard. You'll figure out."

Ichigo huffed unhappily. "You're terrible," he informed her unhappily. He hesitated for a moment before lowering his voice to a point where only Rukia could hear it. "Do you want to do it before or after the surgery?"

Rukia bit her lip, her smirk fading. The surgery didn't even have a date yet — Hisana and Byakuya had been looking into the doctors their parents had found, as well as doctors _they_ had discovered. It was a complicated surgery though, and it was hard to schedule an appointment for it. Everyone had been giving the Kuchiki siblings the runaround with the whole thing.

And honestly…

"Before." She could tell, by the silence, that Ichigo was surprised by the answer. "I don't want to wait that long. Besides," her voice took on a teasing tone as she smiled, "do you _really_ want me to see your ugly mug _before_ we get married? It might just make me change my mind."

Ichigo laughed shortly before pressing his lips against hers in a brief kiss. "Yeah, very funny. Love you too."

Rukia laughed too, leaning her head against his shoulder and closing her eyes. "You know I love you."

"Okay!" Momo chirped suddenly, jumping up. "Back to the wedding planning!"

Rukia resisted the urge to groan. Momo could _not_ go home soon enough…

_**6:23 p.m.**_

"And a nice day to you too!" Hisana grumbled unhappily as she slammed the phone down just as Byakuya walked into the kitchen. He stared at the older of his two little sisters with a raised eyebrow.

"No luck?" He guessed, a bit sarcastically. Hisana threw an aggravated glare in his direction.

"I hate doctors. If I never have to see another doctor again it'll be too damn soon."

"Now's a bad time to remind you that you have a doctor's appointment next week, isn't it?" The glare Hisana gave Byakuya was almost deadly. "You've been arguing with doctors all day, haven't you?"

"It's just annoying. They all _specialize_ in this field, and they all have _excuses_ about why they can't take this on 'at the moment'—"

"You're thinking too much Hisana," Byakuya said as he walked over to the fridge to get a drink. "Just let it go for a day, take a break, go back to it Wednesday or something—"

_Ring-Ring_

Hisana snatched the phone up, looking a bit moody as she put it to her ear. "Hello?"

Byakuya shook his head, smiling just a bit, as he poured himself a glass of water. One thing he would he give Hisana — She wasn't capable of giving up if it was something she believed in. It was one of the many things he admired about her. Even if she _did_ drive herself absolutely insane in the process.

"_What?_"

Byakuya, halfway through taking a sip of his drink, jumped and choked as the liquid went down the wrong way. He coughed and sputtered as he whirled around to look at his sister, who had pulled the phone away from her ear to stare at it in disbelief. "What?" Byakuya demanded, wondering what had elicited such a response from her. Hisana didn't respond, instead putting the phone back to her ear and speaking.

"Are you sure?"

"_What_?" Byakuya repeated his annoyed question. Again, no answer, but Hisana's eyes had lit up in a way Byakuya had never seen before.

It must have been good news.

_**10:18 p.m.**_

Rukia sighed, tapping her fingers against her keyboard as the professor wrapped up his lecture. _God_ was she bored. She closed her laptop, her chin resting on her free hand.

"…And I can tell by the vacant stares and the fact that you've all closed your laptops that I've lost your attention completely. Fine, I won't keep you any longer, it's clear you all have something you want to be doing and spending time with me _isn't_ on that list. How sad."

A low ripple of laughter echoed through the room. Rukia grabbed her bag, smiling as she put her laptop away and carefully navigated her way out of the room, leaning against the wall outside to wait for Ichigo.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, surprising her, and she quickly pulled it out, flipping it open. "Hello?"

"_Is this a bad time?_" Hisana's voice echoed down the line, sounding nervous and excited all at once. Rukia blinked a couple of times, surprised.

"No, I just got out of class, I'm waiting for Ichigo. What's up?"

"_Great!_" Hisana chirped, making Rukia jump. "_So I got a phone call earlier, I meant to call before you started class but I completely forgot, I was talking to Nii-sama and—_"

"Nee-san!" Rukia cut her sister off loudly, realizing she wasn't going to stop to take a breath. "First of all, slow down, I have good hearing but it's not _that_ good that I can keep up with you. Second you're voice is at a pitch that only _dolphins_ can understand. Bring it down a couple notches. Now what are you calling for?"

"_We finally got a positive answer!_" Hisana followed Rukia's instructions to speak slower and quieter, though the excitement wasn't any less. "_Dr. Unohana, she practices out of Tokyo, she specializes in sight restoration. I called her office last week and she _finally_ got back to me tonight…_"

Rukia listened as her sister prattled on, trying to process everything that was being said. "You…found someone willing to take on the surgery?" She finally managed to ask, her voice twisting a little. Hisana noticed nothing of it.

"_Yup! Or I mean, she's willing to at least look at your files, she sounded interested though, I bet we could get her to take this on. Isn't that great?_"

Rukia bit her lip. It wasn't that anything about the idea sounded _bad_…it was what she wanted after all. But it all felt as if it was happening too _soon_…

"_I made an appointment for this Saturday at eight. You're still planning on coming home this weekend, I assume?_"

Home. Right. Rukia _had_ planned on going home for the upcoming weekend. The first time she'd been home in over a year. "I…yeah. I was still going to come home. As long as it's still all right that Ichigo comes too."

"_Nii-sama already promised to be on his best behavior,_" Hisana said in a bit of a sing-song voice. "_It's going to be a great weekend_."

"Great. Right."

"Hey, is that Hisana-san?" Ichigo's voice spoke up as he walked towards Rukia. "Tell her I say hi."

"Nee-san I have to go, I have another class to get to. Ichigo says hi. I'll talk to you later."

"_All right, talk to you later. And hi Ichigo-kun!_" With that, Hisana hung up. Rukia flipped her phone shut, shoving it into her pocket.

"She says hi."

Ichigo chuckled as he took her hand, intertwining their fingers. "So what'd she want anyways?" He asked as they started towards her next class. Rukia bit her lip, turning her eyes to the ground. This wasn't a conversation she wanted to have _right now_, when they were between classes and didn't have the time. It was something they needed to sit down and talk about.

"Nothing much. It's Nee-san, what _could_ she have wanted to talk about?"

Another laugh. "Good point. Hisana-san really knows how to babble on, doesn't she?"

Rukia laughed weakly. "Yeah, but she wouldn't be Nee-san if she didn't."

They would talk later.

_**11:02 p.m.**_

_Why March third? Obviously there's a reason why she picked _that _specific day. There's always a method to Rukia's madness, no matter how insane it seems at the time — and with her it always seems insane. March third must be important to her…but how?_

Needless to say, Ichigo was _not_ paying attention to what was going on in class. Rukia's seemingly random choice of date was driving him nuts. He couldn't make heads or tails of it.

Creeeeeeak.

_Ichigo jerked around as the sound of grating metal echoed through the air, and his eyes swiveled around to find the source of the noise, landing on the swing-set tucked in the corner near the woods. It wasn't yet dark enough that he couldn't see the outline of a small figure seated on one of the swings. But it was just dark enough that he couldn't see the person's face._

_Ichigo turned all the way to face the swings. The figure was small, almost child-like. Too young to be out at this time. And Ichigo, against his better judgment, was curious. He made his way slowly towards the swings, waiting for the figure to say something. But it was silent, as if the person hadn't seen him. He stopped when the person came into view, about ten feet away._

_It was a girl, a very small girl, with shoulder-length raven hair framing her thin face. Her skin was pale, ghost-like, as if she didn't get out in the sun much. She was wearing, a thin, flowing, white sundress; the wind blew lightly, ruffling the bottom. Her eyes were closed, her head tilted towards the sky, her fingers curled around the chains of the swing. Her lips were moving. The movement was small, miniscule, as if she were speaking to herself, though no sound ever escaped her._

Ichigo blinked as the old memory — it felt like a lifetime ago now — came back to him. The first time he had ever laid eyes on Rukia. Had it really been three years since that time? He felt as if he'd always know Rukia now. To think there had been a time when they _hadn't _been together…

Wait. When had that been again? What day? Ichigo wracked his brain, trying to remember. God, he had never been any good with dates…it would have made sense though. Rukia had definitely picked March third for a reason…

As soon as the professor dismissed them, Ichigo took off down the hall, making a beeline for Rukia's class. He was pleased to see she was already standing against the wall waiting for him. He didn't say anything, just stood in front of her, leaned in, and kissed her much more passionately than what was probably appropriate for the fact that they were not only in public, but standing in the middle of a class hall.

Rukia laughed when they finally pulled apart. "Renji, what did I tell you about that? What if Ichigo were to see?"

"I figured it out," Ichigo said, pointedly ignoring her joke.

"You figured out I'm having an affair with Renji? Shoot. Well you sure are taking it well…"

"The _date_, Rukia, I figured out the damn _date_."

"Oh yeah?" Rukia teased. "So, pray-tell, _why_ did I choose March third?"

"It's the anniversary of the first day we met."

Rukia's face split into a large grin. "I knew you'd get it. Just needed to get the cobwebs out of the poor, underused brain of yours."

Ichigo smiled as he kissed her again, more softly than the first time. "I love you," he murmured, his lips moving against hers.

"Well gee, I hope so, otherwise that's going to make this whole wedding thing kind of awkward, don't you think?"

"Smart-ass." Rukia laughed, closing the small distance between them to kiss him briefly.

"I love you too."

* * *

**Author's Note:** So it probably feels like not much happened in this chapter…you're probably right. But oh well. This is what happened. Next chapter is the doctor's appointment, and a very important decision regarding the wedding. Anyways, review please! — Sam


	28. Changing the Plans

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_Ichigo smiled as he kissed her again, more softly than the first time. "I love you," he murmured, his lips moving against hers._

_"Well gee, I hope so, otherwise that's going to make this whole wedding thing kind of awkward, don't you think?"_

_"Smart-ass." Rukia laughed, closing the small distance between them to kiss him briefly._

_"I love you too."_

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day —XXVII**_

—_**:—:—Saturday, October 14**__**th**__**, 2011 –9**__**:03 a.m.**__** —:—:—**_

"…I don't think I'm going to survive this weekend."

Rukia laughed as she sat up, rubbing her eyes and turning in Ichigo's direction. "And pray-tell, why wouldn't you survive the weekend?"

"Because I just ran into your brother in the hall, and I swear, if his eyes could have driven a dagger into my chest they would have." Rukia laughed again.

"Nee-san said he promised to be on his best behavior."

"I'm pretty 'best behavior' is him not _actually_ driving a dagger into my chest."

"I think you worry too much," Rukia commented with a smile; the bed dipped as Ichigo settled his weight down on it. After a moment a pair of strong arms wrapped themselves around her, pulling her against a broad chest.

"You can say that. You didn't see the way he glared at me."

"Aaawww, was Ichigo afraid of big ol' grumpy Nii-sama?" Rukia teased, twisting around in his arms and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"Terrified. Absolutely terrified. You might need to kiss me until I'm not scared anymore." There was a hint of a smirk in Ichigo's voice now. Rukia rolled her eyes, but turned the rest of the way, resting her palms against Ichigo's chest and pushing him; they fell back together on the bed, her on his chest, him with his arms around her, holding her securely in place.

"Well I guess I'll just do what I have to," she said before pressing her lips against his. They didn't pull apart for a long time; each momentarily forgot where they were, and before long Rukia was parting her lips, her tongue slipping out and moving along his…

_Knock-Knock_

They had exactly three seconds to separate and get Rukia off of Ichigo's chest before the door flew open. Rukia knew, as soon as she heard Hisana's voice, that her sister had been one hundred percent hoping to interrupt something.

"Breakfast time!" She sang happily. She loved having Rukia back in the house. Having Ichigo there was a huge bonus. Plus it made for great torture.

"We'll be down in a minute." Rukia cursed the way her voice cracked. Hisana was going to read far, far too much into that…

"Well try not to keep the pancakes waiting," Hisana teased as she left. Rukia sighed, falling back on the bed and covering her face with her hands.

"We can go back to school now, I think."

"I'll start packing the bags," Ichigo agreed instantly. Despite this decision, though, both of them made the effort to get up, get dressed, and bring themselves downstairs. Byakuya wasn't in the kitchen when they arrived, much to Ichigo's relief. And Hisana was on her way out as well.

"Nii-sama is doing something or other at the office, I don't know, there was a bunch of legal talk. I've got a bunch of errands to run, I'll probably be out for most of the day — make sure the two of you behave, just because you have the house to yourself isn't any reason to—"

"Good_bye_ Nee-san!" Rukia said loudly and pointedly. Hisana laughed as she grabbed her jacket.

"I'll be back before eight, make sure you're both ready to go by then."

Rukia's tolerant smile faded as Hisana left. For most of the week she'd been able to put off thoughts about her upcoming appointment that would determine whether or not there was any chance of her recovering her eyesight.

But now the day was here. And she was terrified.

Ichigo, of course, noticed the sudden silence that descended upon them for the rest of breakfast. He didn't say anything, waiting until they'd retreated downstairs to crash on the couch to wrap his arms around Rukia, holding her tightly against his chest, letting his warmth envelope her, and saying, "Okay, talk. What's wrong?"

"What makes you think something is wrong?" Rukia asked instantly, trying to squirm out of his grip. Ichigo refused to release her though.

"Because despite what you like to think, I am in fact _not_ an idiot. So I'll say it again: start talking. What's going on in that pretty little head of yours, Rukia?"

Rukia sighed as she finally relaxed against Ichigo, bowing her head and closing her eyes. He was going to think she was being _ridiculous_, after how gung-ho she'd been about this entire thing, but…

"I'm scared."

She knew the answer surprised Ichigo. He hesitated for the longest time before answering. "What…what are you afraid of?" He finally managed to ask. Rukia heard the note of barely suppressed surprise in his voice. She'd known he wouldn't understand.

"This is just…a lot to take in. And I know I've been pushing for this, and we've been researching this, and it's what we want — what _I_ want…but jeez, this is a lot to take in, don't you think? I mean, I know this is just an appointment, but…it's more than I had a month ago, right? I just think…I don't know. Maybe…maybe I'm not ready."

"You don't have to be," Ichigo said at once, his grip tightening just a bit. "There is absolutely nothing saying you _have_ to do this right away. Tonight is just an appointment. If you decide you don't want to do it, now or ever, then you don't have to. It's your call. If anyone is pushing you, point me in their direction. If you think _I'm_ pushing you, I'll beat myself up. No pressure, Rukia. You don't have to do anything you don't want to. I promise."

Rukia sighed, turning her head to bury her face in Ichigo's shoulder. "If I…change my mind…you won't hold it against me?"

Ichigo made an impatient noise in the back of his throat. "Of course not," he responded at once. "That's the most ridiculous thing I can think of to hold against you. Everything is your choice. I'll love you no matter what."

Rukia swallowed hard, curling into a tight ball in Ichigo's arms. She wouldn't lie; hearing that had alleviated most of her fears.

"Thank you."

_**7:52 p.m.**_

Ichigo was pretty sure he would never be able to feel his fingers again. Rukia's grip on his hand was so tight, he couldn't quite tell where her hand ended and his began. Their skins were pretty much fused together at this point.

"Rukia, Kurosaki-kun's fingers are turning purple. How about letting some blood flow to those poor digits?" Rukia gave no acknowledgment of her sister's words. Ichigo was glad. He would have felt bad if Rukia had released her grip.

"What's this appointment for?" She asked Hisana for the millionth time. Hisana was as patient answering it this time as she had been the million and times she'd answered before.

"Dr. Unohana is going to run a few tests, try and find the damaged tissue, see how bad the damage is and how much and if it's removable. If there's too much damage, or it's too deep, it won't be possible, and that'll be the end of it. If it's the opposite though…"

Hisana's voice drifted off. It was the opposite that Ichigo knew was worrying Rukia.

"Kuchiki."

Rukia jumped a mile as her name was called. She stood up shakily, pulling Ichigo with her. The plan had been that Hisana and Ichigo stayed in the waiting room, and let Rukia handle things on her own. But clearly Ichigo wouldn't be allowed to separate from Rukia for more than five minutes.

Dr. Unohana was a kind, older woman (mid-forties, if Ichigo were to guess). He knew, from his personal research (translation: by calling and using his father's vast knowledge of the many doctors of Japan), that Unohana was well qualified, almost overly so, for the job she was being trusted with.

"Kuchiki-san," the woman greeted her kindly, shaking her hand gently.

"D-Dr. Unohana," Rukia mumbled, sounding nervous. Unohana responded with a smile.

"Nervous? Don't worry, I don't bite."

This at least brought a small smile out of Rukia. "So, before we get started, do you have any questions about what we're about to do?" Rukia thought for a minute.

"How…I mean, um…do you think it's…possible?" She asked finally, shifting from foot to foot. "I mean…for me to um…could it…"

Unohana laughed gently, resting a hand on Rukia's shoulder. "Lets run the tests first. Then I'll be able to give you probabilities." Rukia nodded mutely. "Now, unfortunately I'm going to have to ask you to un-attach yourself from your handsome boyfriend—" Clearly Unohana's eyes were as dysfunctional as Rukia's, "and we're going to start running tests."

Rukia cast a terrified look at Ichigo, who smiled sadly as he leaned towards her, pressing his lips lightly against hers. "You'll be fine," he whispered, hugging her. "I'll be out in the waiting room with Hisana-san. I love you."

"Love you too," she mumbled as Unohana led her away. Ichigo flexed his fingers as he made his way back towards the waiting room. He wished he could have gone with Rukia, he knew how nervous she was…but Unohana seemed nice enough. She would take care of his terrified fiancé. There was really nothing to worry about.

"You look like someone's dying," Hisana piped as Ichigo took his seat again. "All she's going to do is look at Rukia's eyes, it's not like there's anything _dangerous_ that's going to happen tonight. It's going to be okay."

"I know. I know." He knew. There was no reason to be worry. He knew that. Hisana smiled when she saw that her words had no effect on the boy — man.

"This is the side of you I wish Nii-sama could see," she said after a minute. Ichigo raised his head to look at her, raising an eyebrow. "Rukia tells him, but I don't think he realizes quite how much you love her. If he saw the way you were now—"

"He wouldn't care."

Hisana laughed quietly. "No, maybe it would appear that way on the outside. But Nii-sama loves Rukia, he really does, he's been so much happier since the two of them started speaking again. He's always wanted what's best for her, even if he isn't always sure what that is."

Ichigo didn't doubt Byakuya cared for Rukia; she _was_ his baby sister, after all. It was a brother's job to protect their sisters. Even if — _especially_ if — it meant hating every other male figure that passed through said sisters' lives. Ichigo really did understand where Byakuya was coming from.

He just wished the man's feelings didn't always have to hurt Rukia the way they did.

"Just try to relax. I'm not going to hurt you," Unohana promised. Rukia flinched as something brushed against her face. She didn't like not knowing what was going on. It would be annoying to ask though.

Other than the occasional "hm" or scratching of a pen against paper, there was silence for a moment as Unohana did whatever it was she had to do. Rukia fidgeted uncomfortably, trying not to let her nervousness interfere with what Unohana was doing.

"The damage to the tissue is surprisingly superficial," Unohana finally said. "There's a lot, and clearly it's bad enough to effect your eyesight, but I feel safe in saying I could remove the damaged tissue."

Rukia's heartbeat quickened a little. "You…you could?" She stuttered out, cursing the hopeful note that rang in her voice. She didn't _want_ to be hopeful, not if it all went down the drain…

The tone of Unohana's voice told Rukia that the woman was smiling as she answered. "Yes." There was silence as Rukia absorbed this. When Unohana spoke again, her voice was serious. "I'm not going to pretend it's an easy surgery though, Kuchiki-san. I'm not trying to scare you, but there are complications that could arise, and even if the surgery _does_ go off without a hitch, you'll have a long recovery ahead of you."

Rukia nodded slowly as she stood up. She already knew all of those things; Ichigo had certainly done his research on the topic. "And you're absolutely sure you want to do this?" Unohana asked quietly. "I'm not trying to discourage you, but this surgery is delicate. A good deal of it is just you being strong enough mentally to handle it."

The fact that there was no thinking involved was enough of answer enough of Rukia. "Absolutely."

Unohana smiled. She had to admit, she liked Rukia. A lot.

_**11:43 p.m.**_

Rukia pulled in a deep breath, nestling against Ichigo's bare chest. She would freely admit that her best moments in life were spent cuddling with Ichigo. "So…June seventeenth," Ichigo said after a minute. Rukia laughed quietly.

"Yup."

"That's going to come faster than you think."

"I know."

Ichigo pressed his lips against Rukia's head. "Didn't you say you wanted to get married before you got your eyesight back?"

"Yeah…and I distinctly remember promising Nii-sama we'd finish college before we got married."

"He's going to kill me."

Rukia laughed quietly, closing her eyes and breathing deeply. "Nee-san won't let him. She can be very persuasive when she wants to be, you know."

"I highly doubt if your brother truly decides to kill me, a small little thing like your sister will be able to stop him."

"You'd be surprised."

Ichigo chuckled. He would be lying if he said he wasn't scared of what Rukia's brother would say to the fact that his baby sister was getting married in five months…

Five months. Ichigo's thoughts stopped in their tracks. Five. Months.

"Rukia?"

"Yeah?"

"March isn't that far away, huh?"

"Nope. The wedding planners—" AKA Hinamori and Hisana — "are _not_ going to be happy with this decision. You can tell them."

"Gee…thanks." Rukia laughed. Well she could laugh. But Ichigo…well, between Byakuya an Hinamori and Hisana, he wasn't sure who he'd rather face _less_.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So…I'm going to admit, I have _not_ been keeping up with the Bleach Manga — I haven't read it in over a year. I just read the latest chapter though. Absolutely _heartbreaking_. I was reading during class and I almost broke down crying. So yeah. That's all. Sorry for the long wait on the update, check my profile for details. And review please! — Sam


	29. Epilogue — Seeing The World

**Dedication: **This story — yes, this _entire_ story — is dedicated to Zapenbits, who's been reading my stories _literally_ from the very beginning, and who never has anything bad to say about anything I write. She's been very encouraging, and her reviews always brighten up my day, and I'm forever grateful for her. Love ya Zappy!

—_**:—:—…Previously…—:—:—**_

_"Rukia?"_

_"Yeah?"_

_"March isn't that far away, huh?"_

_"Nope. The wedding planners—" AKA Hinamori and Hisana — "are _not _going to be happy with this decision. You can tell them."_

_"Gee…thanks." Rukia laughed. Well she could laugh. But Ichigo…well, between Byakuya an Hinamori and Hisana, he wasn't sure who he'd rather face_ less.

* * *

_**Shadow of the Day — Epilogue**_

—_**:—:—Sunday, June 21**__**st**__**, 2011 –10**__**:53 p.m.**__** —:—:—**_

_**(Eight Months Later)**_

"Kurosaki-kun?"

Ichigo was out of his seat before his eyes had even fully opened. He didn't even remember someone saying his name, but Unohana was standing in front of him, giving the worn man a small smile. So clearly she had called out to him, right?

"How…how did it go?" He finally managed to ask, his voice cracking from lack of use. If Unohana found this amusing, she didn't let on.

"It went well. I would say great, even, if I believed in describing surgeries in such simplistic forms. We were able to remove all the damaged tissue." Ichigo felt as if the floor had spiraled out from beneath him. He wavered a bit, but managed to keep himself steady. "We're setting her up in a room now, she'll be out for another couple of hours at least. But at this moment we have no reason to believe that the surgery wasn't a success."

He had absolutely no response to this. Feeling like an idiot, he ran his hands through his hair before scrubbing his eyes tiredly. It was done. The surgery had gone well. Rukia was fine.

His _wife_ was fine.

Ichigo realized he was grinning when he looked up at Unohana again. "Can I see her?"

Unohana laughed quietly. "I was waiting for that. Follow me."

Ichigo's grin faltered when Unohana led him into Rukia's room. Her already pale skin was nearly translucent now, and the bandages wrapped around her eyes…it was almost frightening. He shook it off though. The bandages weren't there because something bad had happened to her. Her life wasn't in danger. She was okay. And when the bandages came off, she would be able to see. She would be able to see _him_.

_Oh god…she's gonna take one look at me and go running in the other direction_.

Ichigo chuckled a bit as he sat down in the chair positioned next to Rukia's bed, taking her hand in his and intertwining their fingers, squeezing tightly. He'd already forgotten that Unohana was standing in the door watching them, and that visiting hours were _technically_ over and he _technically_ wasn't allowed to stay. He didn't care about any of that.

He wasn't leaving this hospital until Rukia left with him.

_**Date Unknown — Time Unknown**_

Rukia had to admit, it was kind of annoying to wake up to darkness. Granted she knew the darkness was courtesy of the annoyingly itchy bandages wrapped around her eyes, and that they were for her own good. But _still_…hadn't she done her time in the darkness? She just wanted to _see_ already…

"Rukia?"

A small smile pulled at Rukia's lips. "Hey," she mumbled, her voice hoarse. A second later a pair of lips pressed themselves softly against her forehead, and she laughed quietly. "I'm unconscious for who knows how long — well I suppose _you_ know, but I don't — and I don't even get a decent greeting when I finally wake up?"

Ichigo laughed shortly. "Well ya know, I thought that might be kind of inappropriate, considering your brother and sister are standing here as well…"

"But we'll _gladly_ leave if you two want some privacy," Hisana spoke up. Byakuya muttered something unintelligible, though Rukia had a feeling it was something along the lines of _no we won't_. Rukia tried to ignore the faint blush she could feel playing on her cheeks.

"Hi Nee-san. Nii-sama."

After a moment a pair of thin arms wrapped themselves around Rukia, holding her tightly, if not a little awkwardly. "Welcome back to the world of the living," Hisana teased as she pulled away. "You'll just use _any_ excuse to sleep late, won't you?"

"Don't tease me, I'm injured," Rukia whined, pouting.

"Oh please," Hisana and Byakuya grumbled in one voice, and Ichigo laughed. Rukia scowled in their direction before raising a hand to play with the bandages around her eyes.

"Hey, hey," Ichigo chided gently, grabbing her hand and wrapping his fingers around her own. "Don't do that. Knowing you you'll mess them up somehow."

Rukia responded by sticking her tongue out at him. "Jerk."

Ichigo kissed her hand (still clutched in his), and when he responded she could tell he was smiling. "Only if it protects you."

"Oh brother." Rukia knew Hisana was rolling her eyes now. "Come on Nii-sama, lets give these two some privacy."

"Why?" Byakuya deadpanned.

"Because I don't feel like watching this. Besides it's lunchtime. You can buy me something down at the cafeteria."

"Fine, I — wait, what?" Hisana laughed as light footsteps carried her across the room. "Wait a minute Hisana, you have money on you, I'm not buying you anything," Byakuya protested as he followed her out.

"You're such a _mean_ big brother…"

Ichigo waited until they were both long gone to speak. "Have you ever considered having the two of them committed?"

"Kind of hard to do that when they're the ones that were taking care of me," Rukia pointed out logically. She could feel the smile on Ichigo's lips as he pressed them against her, kissing her lightly.

"Maybe. But that's my job now. So if you want to take a look at some psych wards, I'd be more than happy to help."

"Only if we can send your father with them," Rukia joked.

"Done," Ichigo replied at once. There'd been absolutely no thought involved. Rukia wondered if she should be worried.

"You've actually thought about this before, haven't you?"

The lack of answer was all Rukia needed.

—_**:—:—Tuesday, June 23**__**rd**__**, 2011 – Time Unknown —:—:—**_

"Okay Rukia-san…you can open your eyes now."

Rukia opened her eyes slowly, blinking a couple of times. This wasn't the same darkness she was accustom to — the never-ending, oppressive darkness that had ruled her life for twenty years. _This_ darkness was more blurry, and clearly human-induced. It was the result of being in a room with no windows, lights, and not even a crack in the door for light to come in under.

But Rukia could almost make out shadows.

"Rukia-san?" She tried to focus on where Unohana's voice was coming from, but her eyes kept darting around, taking in the shadows that surrounded her. Her heart began to race just a little.

"Ichigo?" She questioned after a moment. One of the shadows moved, and she jumped a bit. The shadow froze.

"Sorry," he mumbled, sounding a bit abashed. Rukia shook her head quickly.

"No, don't be. You didn't…I just wasn't expecting that."

After a moment the shadow moved again, and a large hand wrapped itself around hers. She returned Ichigo's grip before finally focusing on where she'd heard Unohana speaking before. "When can we turn on the lights?" She demanded after a minute, and Unohana laughed.

"Soon, Rukia-san. Your eyes need time to adjust. The bandages are going to have to go back on when we're done here." Rukia groaned. "I know, I know…soon, though. I promise."

Rukia huffed in annoyance and turned to look at Ichigo — to _look_ at Ichigo. The thought of such an idea made her laugh.

"What's so funny?" Ichigo demanded, though he didn't sound annoyed. More curious than anything.

"I can almost see you."

"Yeah, well I've never been told that I'm funny looking. So what's the joke?"

But Rukia shook her head. "I love you," she said instead.

"Not much of a joke." Rukia could tell from Ichigo's tone that he was kidding. "I love you too."

The words lifted Rukia's heart.

—_**:—:—Thursday, June 25**__**th**__**, 2011 – Time Unknown —:—:—**_

"Ichigo?"

"Yeah?"

"Have you ever thought about what it's like to be able to see?" The question clearly bewildered Ichigo. But Rukia couldn't think of any other way to put it, though not for a lack of trying. She'd been playing with the question for hours. "I mean…I don't know how to say this."

"I think I get it," Ichigo promised. "And…I don't really know how to answer it. It's not something you really think about, is it? Just like you never thought about what it was like to be blind, I never thought about what it was like to see. At least…not until I met you."

He sounded embarrassed to admit such a thing. "Oh yeah? And what was the conclusion you came to?"

Ichigo chuckled. "Honestly I don't remember, it was so long ago. I remember I used to think about how amazing you were, navigating as well as you did. Most people who can see trip over their own two feet _constantly_. Yuzu was the biggest klutz for the longest time, she could barely go a day without falling over _something_. But you've always been just fine on your own."

Rukia smiled as she reached her hand out, finding Ichigo's hand and wrapping her fingers around his, squeezing tightly. "I was fine on my own," she agreed quietly. "I'm better with you though."

Ichigo chuckled. Rukia blushed a bit as she realized just how corny her words sounded.

"I'm better with you too."

—_**:—:—Friday, June 26**__**th**__**, 2011 – Time Unknown —:—:—**_

"Ready?"

Rukia swallowed hard and nodded, smiling widely. She was bouncing a bit, earning a laugh from Unohana, her siblings, and Ichigo. "Ready," she finally responded. Unohana's fingers played over Rukia's skin as she carefully unwound the bandages for the final time. Her heart was racing, trying to beat its way out of her chest. She didn't care. She just wanted these bandages _off_.

"All right, close your eyes." Rukia huffed in annoyance as she did as she was told. "Eyes closed?"

"_Yes_."

Finally the last of the bandages fell away. Rukia tried to open her eyes, but somehow her eyelids felt too heavy. She couldn't find it in herself to do so.

"Rukia?"

Ichigo's soft voice, so close to her ear, spurred Rukia into action. And finally, _finally_ she managed to make her eyes open.

The light hit her hard, sending a pounding through her head, and she cringed, quickly snapping her eyes shut again. She hesitated before opening them again, letting them dart around to take everything in. She cursed internally; she wanted to focus on Ichigo. But her mind had other ideas. There was so much to _see_…

When she could finally force herself to prioritize, she didn't stop to look at the doctor that had performed this miracle, or the man and woman who had raised her for the better part of her life. They went straight to the person sitting on the bed next to her, holding his hand in hers. The person that had saved her.

Her husband.

"_Ichigo_."

His face split into a wide grin as their eyes met. There was an intensity in those orbs unlike anything Rukia could have ever even _begun_ to imagine. Nothing in her imagination had _ever_ done Ichigo justice.

She heard Hisana mumble something, and after a moment she, Byakuya, and Unohana had backed out of the room, leaving them to themselves. Ichigo raised his free hand, gently pushing back a loose strand of Rukia's hair, trying very hard not to go near the stitches on either side of her eyes. Her beautiful, _seeing_ eyes.

They didn't say anything. It wasn't necessary.

"I love you," Rukia finally whispered, her voice shaking. She tried to put everything she was feeling into those words. Tried to make them sound less inadequate. Wished there was something more she could say.

But Ichigo understood.

"I love you too."

—_**:—:—Sunday, June 28**__**th**__**, 2011 – 7:52 p.m. —:—:—**_

"Ready to go?" Ichigo asked. He couldn't help the grin that ruled his features when Rukia's eyes swiveled to look at him. And she grinned back.

"Definitely."

She jumped off the bed, crossing the room with a confident step and reaching a hand out for Ichigo to hold. He reached out and met her halfway, their fingers intertwining.

They passed Unohana on their way to the elevator. The couple gave her identical smiles and more thank you's — not that they'd ever be able to thank her enough. The older woman smiled as she watched them walk away.

Rukia closed her eyes and took a deep breath as they walked outside, the cool night air washing over her. She tilted her head back to look at the sky, her grin widening, if such a thing was possible, when her eyes landed on the stars. The stars that had been her guards, her blanket for so many years. They'd watched her walk home when she hadn't been able to do it for herself. They had taken care of her. They had watched her.

And now she could watch them.

"Are you sure you don't want to have your sister pick us up?" Ichigo asked, looking down at Rukia, who met his gaze with a firm stare.

"No. I want to walk home."

Ichigo chuckled. "All right. Well lets go then."

They started down the street hand-in-hand. Rukia kept looking around — at the trees, the streetlights, the signs, the cars, the moon, the stars — but she kept coming back to the same thing — Ichigo. Eventually he caught her staring, and laughed.

"See something you like?" He teased, poking her with his free hand.

"Only a lot."

Ichigo smiled softly. "Well there's a lot more where all of this came from," he said, waving his hand at the world around them.

"I want to see it all," Rukia responded at once. Ichigo pulled her to a stop, turning her around and kissing her lightly.

"And I want to show it all to you," he murmured as he pulled away. Their eyes met, and Rukia smiled as she realized she didn't really _need_ to see the world…

Because she'd found it in the amber eyes that were looking into hers.

* * *

**Author's Note:** So the epilogue is kind of coming out of nowhere, I know…I really didn't mean to end it so abruptly, but I'm starting to realize that balancing college _and_ Fanfiction is hard — more so because I've kind of lost inspiration for this story. So I figured instead of dragging it out and waiting months at a time to update — like I did this last time around — I might as well just put us all out of our misery. But anyways…thoughts, opinions? Was it awful? Are you angry I didn't show the wedding? Sorry about that. I never planned to, if it's worth anything. But yeah…

This story has certainly been a roller coaster. It was an experiment in the beginning, and honestly, I'm happy with how it turned out. You guys have all been _really_ supportive through this entire thing, especially with the slow updates, and I'm incredibly grateful to all of you for all the encouragement I've been getting. So thank you, thank you, _thank you_.

And so, for the last time with this story, I encourage you all to _review_, and let me know what you thought of this — the epilogue and the story in general! — Sam


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